The Cover Up
by Ilovedesserts
Summary: A witness leads to quite the cover up These characters are not my own! I've just enjoyed them for this story.
1. Chapter 1

**Idea I have had floating around...we'll see where it takes us! These characters aren't my own. I'm just borrowing them!**

"So walk me through this, Lieutenant," Sharon asked as she joined the team in the Murder Room. The team was filtering in from their latest crime scene, and Amy and Julio were getting the three witnesses setup in different rooms to question them.

"Captain, we have three witnesses. Sykes and Julio are getting them situated now. I'm not sure any of them are going to be much help. The boutique owner was found in the back of the store, and the only reason he was found was that one of the witnesses was ready to purchase some items, and no one was around to help her. When she called for him, she got no response and then saw him lying on the floor. It looks like he's been stabbed, according to Kendall, but we're waiting for all the details from Morales. We only caught the case because Robbery/Homicide is backed up with three pending cases from over the weekend.

Sharon nodded, "Once they are setup, please make sure they have some water and something to eat. You had mentioned earlier two were pregnant. Then have Julio and Amy question them. We can watch from electronics while we work the other angles.

"Will do Captain," Provenza nodded and turned to find Amy and Julio.

"Andy, anything yet on the victim's financials?" Sharon asked as she looked back to his desk where he was working on his computer.

"Ahh, not yet, Sharon," Andy looked up and smiled at her. "I am still waiting on the last bit of information. So far, I just have his credit score, which was in normal range, no red flags."

Sharon, nodded and turned, "Mike?"

"Captain, pulling up surveillance from the store next door. Buzz should have it ready in electronics," he informed her.

Sharon nodded to everyone, and the team got up to complete their different tasks. Sharon, Andy, Provenza, and Mike all headed toward electronics ready to watch the surveillance video and witness questioning. Sharon sat in her chair, alongside Buzz while Provenza, Andy, and Mike stood behind her. Buzz cued up the first room where Amy was taking the statement of the woman who discovered the body. They listened to her statement, noting that she didn't have much to offer, Julio's witness knew even less, and he was done much faster than Amy. Julio went to question the third witness who had finally finished in the restroom.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am," he started. My name is Julio Sanchez, and I am a detective here in Major Crimes. We have brought you here just to get your statement, find out if you saw anything. Can I get your name and address information to get started?

"Sure," she said, seeming excited to be a witness, "It's Bambi. My name is Bambi."

"Like the deer?" Provenza mumbled, joking in electronics. "Look, Bambi is going to have a fawn soon," which got a chuckle from the other guys. Sharon just looked at all of them and turned her attention back on the interview.

Julio was having trouble not chuckling himself. Bambi wasn't very old, and even though she was around six months pregnant, she didn't appear to be wearing maternity clothing, making her regular clothes very tight. Her blonde hair was teased out, and she had on quite a bit of makeup.

"Ahh, Bambi," Julio asked, "can I also get your last name and address for our statement here?"

"Sure, handsome," she winked at Julio which had the guys chuckling again, "Bambi Raydor. I live in San Francisco, well, I did. I lived in Reno up until a few months ago, then San Francisco, and I might be staying here in L.A.," she shrugged. "I am sort of between homes right now."

Sharon sat up when she heard the mention of the witness's last name and turned in her seat to glance back at Andy. He returned her startled expression. Sharon turned back to the screen to continue listening. The whole group had heard the name.

"Just curious, Ma'am, but any relation to Jack Raydor? He is someone our department knows well," Julio inquired.

The guys laughed again and Sharon sighed. She sure hoped they weren't looking at Jack's latest conquest.

"No handsome, I don't think so," she smiled as she reached across to grab his hand. "I am married, well technically but don't let that stop you," she winked, "but my husband's name is Ricky. Ricky Raydor," she smiled brightly at Julio.


	2. Chapter 2

"Ummm, Ma'am, you said Ricky Raydor?" Julio asked confirming what Bambi had told him.

"Yes," she smiled brightly, "tall, dark hair, and handsome! Whiz on computers too! Wait, in fact, his mom, well, parents-think his stepdad too-are cops here. Why? Am I in trouble?" She asked as her eyes got big.

Julio looked toward the camera was a shocked expression on his face, shaking his head. The mood was similar in electronics. Sharon had a firm grip on her chair, and at the first mention of Bambi Raydor, Andy had stepped up and had his hand on Sharon's shoulder gripping it. At some point, Sharon had reached up and now had a death grip on Andy's hand. Mike could be heard saying "This can't be good," and Provenza was standing there in disbelief.

"Flynn, why didn't you tell me about the new daughter in law" he smirked, looking at Andy. Both Andy and Sharon tuned to glare at him. He put up his hands in surrender, "What? Too soon?"

"Ma'am, is your legal name then Bambi Raydor? I'm just checking for our records?" Julio continued trying to get more information, he could only imagine the scene in electronics.

"Oh," she said giggling, "well, not exactly. "That's my dancer name, Bambi. I used to be a dancer at a club in Reno. Sorry. It's what most people call me. My real name is Erin, but yeah, the Raydor part is my last name.

Sharon could be heard with a gasp at Bambi being a dancer in Reno. She was furious, but she almost did didn't know where to start, she had yet to say anything in electronics. No one else dared to speak either.

Andy quickly broke the silence, or his actions did, "Ricky" he said into his phone, "This is your stepfather. I may not be your biological father, but I want to ring your neck right now like you are my own. Tell me why your mother and I have Bambi sitting in our witness room right now? It is currently 12:30," he said looking at his watch, "and you'd better get this message soon. Pray I get to you before your mother. I will be there tonight. Be ready because you are coming back to LA with me," he said as he hung up his phone.

Sharon was looking at him now, speechless. The whole room as staring at him, "What?" He asked. "Captain, I have an emergency-family emergency, and I need to take off the rest of today and tomorrow, that is if you can spare me on the case?" he asked, stone-faced at Sharon.

Sharon didn't have a chance to respond because Wes chose that moment to walk into electronics, "Hi everyone," he nodded. "Captain, I am finished in court for this latest case. I'm all yours again if someone can catch me up to speed."

Sharon turned to Andy, "Go," she nodded, "Thank you," she mouthed. Turning to Wes, "Wes, we are glad to have you back. Yes, we can use you. In fact, Andy must take off on a personal matter now. Let me deal with that, and I am sure Lt. Provenza here can get you up to speed. Thank you," she nodded, as she stood and left the room in search of Andy.

Sharon rubbed her forehead as she stepped out of electronics. Ricky! What in the world was going on? What was he thinking? She saw Andy at his desk, collecting his personal items before leaving. Quickly, she walked over to him.

"Hi," Andy looked up at met her eyes, "What is he thinking?" he almost yelled, gaining the attention of several patrol officers in the office. He waved them off.

Sharon sighed and rolled her eyes, "Andy, I don't know! I'm so mad right now. Bambi? We have a daughter in law named Bambi? She's pregnant? Oh, I always said Ricky had some of Jack's traits. I'm almost afraid of what he got from Jack. Maybe too much of the playboy mentality," she sighed, rubbing her head again.

Andy put his hands on her shoulders, "Hey, let me do this for you, for our family. I'm going to drive up there, collect him, knock some sense into him, and bring him back here. Listen Sharon, I know you are probably thinking of ways to do this yourself, but for one, you have to stay here and solve this case. I heard Nolan is back from court, so you aren't down two of us. Another thing, maybe Ricky really needs to hear this man to man. You've done a wonderful job with him, but let's face it, he's never gotten the man to man lecture like he needs now. I'll take care of his end. I'm sorry, though, but that leaves you here to deal with Bambi."

Sharon smiled up at him, "You're amazing, you know that, right?" she chuckled, "How can I be happy at a moment like this?" she shrugged, "Andy, thank you. I think you are right. You'll bring a different approach that I can't. He can deal with me when he gets here. I'll figure out what to do with Erin. At least her name is Erin. I'm not sure if you missed that part, but Julio asked him her legal name. Bambi is her dancing name," she cringed.

Andy nodded, "I heard some of that as I was trying not to scream at Ricky on the phone. Okay, so you stay here, solve the murder, deal with Erin, and I'll try my hardest not to kill Ricky while bringing him to LA to own up to this mess and apparently collect his wife."

Sharon let out a groan and covered her face, "Andy where did I go wrong? Ricky married a dancer who is now pregnant?" she asked as he pulled her in for a quick hug. He kissed her head quickly and pulled back, picking up his keys.

"Sharon, you didn't go wrong. You raised great kids. Great kids turn into their own adults who make mistakes. I've made more than my share, and still, I'm turning out okay. Hopefully, we can help Ricky and Erin figure this out. I have no idea what the story is there, but we'll get to the bottom of it," he winked and with that, he was gone.

Sharon made her way back into electronics where she saw everyone turned toward Wes. She could only guess that they'd caught him up on the case, all parts included. The room turned and all eyes gave her a sympathetic glace. Mike quickly moved out of the chair he'd taken up once Sharon had left, leaving her a place to sit down.

"Any other useful information from Mrs. Raydor, here?" she huffed.

Mike jumped in; everyone else was terrified to get in Sharon's way. They were sure she was about to blow her stack.

"She didn't see much. She was apparently looking at books, reading one in fact, about babies, when the other lady discovered the body. Captain, if she were any other witness, I'd say we send her on her way. What would you like us to do with her?" Mike asked.

Sharon folded her hands in her lap and thought for a moment, "Please have Julio clarify with her that she isn't in trouble, and we appreciate her giving us her statement. Have him see if she would like some real lunch. I know we got the women some crackers, but it's past lunchtime here now. Then, let's move her to the conference room, and I'll speak to her in a bit. For now, let's regroup in the main room to get this case solved. I have plenty on my plate now to handle."

Sharon had checked in with Andy as he drove up the coast. She'd had some time to talk to Bambi, or Erin, whatever name she was going by, and she wanted to update Andy before he arrived at Ricky's. Ricky still hadn't returned Andy's call, but in a way, that wasn't surprising; he was often stuck in long meetings at work where he didn't have his phone on. Sharon had also just wanted to check on Andy. That man. He'd done something to help her; words couldn't express her feelings right now. She herself hadn't called Ricky yet. Mad didn't begin to describe it; she'd deal with him when he got her.

"Hi sweetheart," Andy smiled into the phone, seeing who it was. "I have about two hours to go," he told her before she could even ask.

"Mmm, thank you again," Andy. We are about to close the case here. I wanted to check in with you.

"Oh yeah? Who did it?" he asked. "I'm sorry I left you there hanging, but it sounds like you did okay without me."

Sharon chuckled, "It's always better when you are here, but you are dealing with more important matters. Turns out our killer wasn't too sharp; it was the victim's brother. There was some dispute over a family matter, and well, his face was clear on the surveillance from the shop next door. After we got that footage, the case almost solved itself."

Andy nodded, "Good. Well, you needed an easy case today. I guess maybe we are grateful for catching it? In some odd, twisted way, it exposed this whole mess."

Sharon hummed, "Yes, and that's another reason I'm calling. I spoke to Bambi, or Erin. I have no idea what name to use. She uses both, but when I asked her about her name, she said she loved Bambi because it reminded her of a cute deer."

"Oh great," Andy muttered, "Ricky found a bright one, I see."

Sharon hummed again, "So, Erin, I have to call her Erin. Bambi just isn't happening. Erin said she was a dancer at some bar, which really sounds like a strip club in Reno. Apparently, Ricky and his buddies were there last year for a bachelor party. Somehow, the next morning, she and Ricky woke up married. She said she remembers marrying him, but she's not sure what Ricky remembers."

"Ricky," Andy grumbled, "sorry, Sharon, but that's just so irresponsible. What was he thinking?"

"I don't know, Andy," Sharon shook her head. "Ricky suggested an annulment, and they agreed to talk about it. I guess he had to get back to the city, so he went home. She stayed there, like nothing had happened. She said she found out then she was pregnant and showed up on Ricky's doorstep, telling him no annulment. She's been staying at Ricky's place, but I guess last week he said he was done, and then she came to LA. Her sister lives here, which is where she's staying. She was walking around this morning because she was locked out of her sister's apartment when she found the store. Andy, she just happened on our murder scene. As much as I don't do coincidences, this one was," she shook her head again and sighed.

Andy was silent for a few moments, taking it all in, "Sharon, it's going to be alright. I'll deal with Ricky tonight and head home with him tomorrow. What are you going to do with Erin tonight?"

"She's still here. I told her who I was, and she started crying asking if I was going to arrest her. I told her I simply wanted to figure things out, and that Ricky would be here tomorrow. I guess I'll take her back to her sister's place now, and we'll go from there. I made sure to get her some lunch. I'll get her dinner. Andy, she's pregnant, after all, and that is my grandchild."

Andy nodded, not that Sharon could see it, "I know. I already thought about that too. Sharon, we're in this together. We'll make sure OUR grandchild is loved, no matter what. Now, I'm getting into some traffic, so I'd better go. I love you, and we'll deal with this, okay?"

Sharon took a deep breath, "Love you too, and I'm sorry. You're right. This is our grandchild. Thank you for taking care of our family. Be safe, and call me when you can," she smiled.

"Always, Sharon," Andy said and hung up.


	3. Chapter 3

While it was a cold evening, Andy sat on the steps going up to Ricky's townhouse. There was something about the cold air and the long drive; it felt good to sit outside, and based on the only text Ricky had sent Andy, Ricky was due home in about five minutes. Andy continued to sit there, wondering just how badly this was all going to go. He was shocked at Ricky's little secret that had come apart in their Murder Room, and he was embarrassed for Sharon. She shouldn't have had to deal with another part of her personal life on display at work, and yet she had. He shook his head. Car headlights drew up his gaze, and he saw the Acura sports car pass Andy's car parked on the street and pull into the driveway.

"Andy," Ricky nodded as he stepped out of his car. Andy stood and sized him up. Ricky knew it was bad if Andy was here. He had no messages from his mother, and that was scary in itself. Andy driving up; well, he guessed everything had come out. Ricky walked up the steps to where Andy was now standing, holding out a bag, "I brought dinner," he offered as Andy gave him a once over, "Veggie burritos," he pushed the bag toward Andy.

Andy scowled, "I thought you didn't like vegetarian stuff. Like your brother, I thought you were a strictly meat and potato guy-like burgers and fries?"

Ricky smiled glumly, "Yeah, well, I am, but something tells me I already ticked off the vegetarian enough tonight that I'd be best to bring a peace offering," he said as he unlocked his door. "Come in. I guess we need to talk," he added. Andy nodded and followed him inside, mumbling, "And you need to pack."

Andy sat and ate while Ricky spilled it, the whole story. It was somewhat of the same story he'd gotten from Sharon on the phone, but it did help to hear all of it straight from Ricky.

"So, yeah, five of my buddies from work, we went to Reno for the weekend, you know, sort of a bachelor party weekend for my friend, Jay. Well, we partied all night, and we went to several clubs. Andy, I don't party like that; you know I don't. After watching Dad with the bottle, well, I'm not a huge drinker. Yeah, a beer here or there, but that night," he shook his head, "obviously, I don't remember much. I met Erin at a bar where she was working-Bambi she called herself. Next thing I remember, I woke up, wedding ring on-not even a nice one-and I'm married to her. I checked into it, and it was all legal and all. I guess I even took off from my friends that night to go with Erin to get married. They tried to find me, but when they did, we were already married," he shook his head. "Stupid, I know."

Andy nodded. He'd remained silent for awhile and chose now to interject, "It is stupid, so stupid Ricky. You're so smart, and that is one of the dumbest things I've heard. So, you just keep it a secret, all these months? Why haven't you done anything? No mention-hey Mom, funny story, but…" he shook his head.

Ricky sighed and looked upward. They were still sitting at the kitchen table, "I had hoped to get it annulled before it became an issue. That's not such a quick, easy process. I called Dad for advice," Ricky admitted.

Andy's eyes shot up at Ricky, "Jack knows? Jack was involved?" Andy was seething at this point. Sharon would get even angrier knowing that Jack knew and she didn't.

Ricky simply nodded as he put his head down, "Yeah," he sighed, "he does, but let me explain why. So, Mom doesn't know this, but Dad sort of did a similar thing right after he and Mom got divorced."

Andy leaned forward, arms on the table, "What?"

Ricky nodded, "Yeah, turns out after the divorce, he went on another drinking binge in Vegas, married some card dealer he'd know forever there, and he got it annulled when he sobered up and realized what he had done. He told me that when he was still drinking, not even realizing what he was saying. It was more of the 'Don't let me do this again,' type of deal. So, I called him knowing he'd dealt with it and also because he's licensed to practice law in Nevada."

Andy whistled, "Wow, this day," he shook his head, "gets better and better. Okay, so even worse, you spoke to your lawyer dad and yet, here I still sit, ticked off that your PREGNANT WIFE showed up in our Murder Room!"

Ricky raised his hands in defense, "Listen, I know. Let me explain what's been going on," he started out.

Meanwhile, back in LA, Sharon was left to deal with Erin or Bambi, whatever she was calling herself. Once the team had solved the case, she decided to go and have a sit down, heart to heart chat with Erin and get her story. Julio had moved her to the conference room, gotten her a sandwich for lunch, and at one point, Sharon had found her asleep in the room. That was a few hours ago. Since then, she had sat, waiting for the next step. She wasn't sure why she was still in the office, but they had all reassured her she wasn't in trouble.

"Erin," Sharon smiled as she walked into the room from her office, "I'm sorry we kept you waiting."

Erin shrugged, "Whatever. It's not like I can get back into my sister's place until she's home from work, and even then, she doesn't have heat or tv. There's really nothing to do there, and I really don't want to watch her with her boyfriend."

Sharon nodded as she sat down, "Erin, my name is Sharon. I'm in charge of this whole division, and I do want to thank you for helping us. We did arrest the suspect. I'm sorry you walked into that."

Erin nodded, "Yeah, me too. So, you got the guy? Who was it?"

"Family member," Sharon waved it off, "now, let me explain a little why you are still here."

"Listen, do you have anything else to eat? I'm starving," Erin asked before Sharon could speak again. "Sorry," she shrugged, "but this kid is hungry," she gestured to her tiny stomach where there was clearly a baby growing in there.

"Of course," Sharon smiled warmly, "tell you what, it's near dinnertime. Can I buy you some dinner? I barely ate lunch, and there's a diner around the corner. We can eat and chat there. Would that be okay?"

Erin shrugged again, "I guess. Do they have salads? I'm trying to eat healthy stuff for the baby. I don't like salads, but I've been eating them more. Really, I would just love a huge cheeseburger with a milkshake, but I read that isn't always good."

Sharon smiled again, "Yes, they have salads, good ones in fact. I get them a lot. Tell you what, you can get a salad, whatever else you want, and a milkshake if that makes you happy. My youngest son loves the milkshakes there," she nodded to her, trying to not get into all the details until they were situated at dinner.

"Okay then," Erin said standing and grabbing her bag. She just had a knapsack type thing that reminded Sharon of Rusty's knapsack he lugged around with him when he had first moved in with her. The two walked through the Murder Room, gaining the attention of the team who had refused to leave before Sharon, and they all nodded at her. Provenza smiled and nodded, indicating Sharon could call him if she needed anything. The two had come a long way.

"So," Sharon turned to her as they were waiting for the elevator, "how far along are you? Six months or so?"

Erin blushed, "No, actually eight now. This app I have on my phone says I am at 32 weeks now. I'm due March 5.

Sharon's eyes got huge, "March 5? That's not far away at all! My goodness, you are tiny. I can't believe you are that far along. Is everything alright?"

Erin shrugged, "I guess. I haven't had regular care, so I don't know. Kid kicks a lot, so," she shrugged.

Sharon closed her eyes as she turned her head briefly. Ricky, she was going to kill him. Whatever the story, this girl deserved prenatal care, and to make matters worse, Ricky could have most definitely provided that. He had an excellent job with a computer firm where he had great health insurance. No matter what was going on, he should have done this.

Sharon turned back to Erin when the elevator arrived, and she ushered her in, "Come on. I'm starved," she smiled.

The two were seated quickly, and Sharon noticed that Erin hadn't stopped rubbing her stomach. It took everything Sharon had not to reach over and feel that baby herself. First things first.

"Erin," Sharon started once the two had ordered, "I asked that you stay today because I want to speak to you about your husband, your marriage."

Erin got a strange look on her face as she rubbed circles around her stomach. She sipped on her water while Sharon took a sip of her hot tea, "My husband? What do you want to know about Ricky? I don't know what I can tell you. I don't know that much myself."

Sharon let out a slow breath as she stirred her tea. She found stirring her tea kept her from flailing her arms around, ready to scream at Ricky, who wasn't even here, "Erin, I think I can help with a lot of that. Erin, I was quite shocked when we heard you give your witness statement today. Your name threw me. Erin, my name is Captain Sharon Raydor. Not only am I the detective in charge of Major Crimes, but I am also Ricky's mother."

Erin put down her water glass and frowned looking at Sharon, "You're Ricky's mom? So, I just happened to be in a crime scene today that you investigated? Why haven't I met you before?"

Sharon sighed, "Erin, yes we stumbled into each other today," she shrugged, "and, as for not meeting you, honey, I didn't know anything about you. I didn't know Ricky was married or that you were pregnant. I'm hoping you can tell me everything here."

"You didn't?" Erin asked, "Ricky said that his family would be mad about everything, and we haven't talked about it since. I haven't seen him in awhile either."

Sharon nodded, "Erin, please tell me everything."

"So, I used to live in Reno. Moved there myself when I finished high school," she started and Sharon let out a silent thank you that at least Erin had finished high school. "I grew up with my aunt, but she didn't really care if I was there or not. My sister is a year older than I am, and she came to LA with her boyfriend. My aunt lives in Oregon, and a friend of mine heard we could get good jobs in Reno. I've been there since, dancing. I met Ricky and his friends one night. They were in my club, and well, Ricky and I seemed to hit it off, and when he suggested getting married that night, we did. Honestly, at the time I didn't know how much he'd had to drink. Next morning, he said it was a mistake, and he wanted an annulment. He went back to San Francisco and promised to call me to take care of things. I found out I was pregnant a couple weeks later, so I went to San Francisco to find him. I told him I didn't want an annulment, and here I am. Ricky let me stay there for awhile, but we kept arguing, and well, he said things with us weren't going to happen, and that was it. Ricky really wants me to give the baby up for adoption, which is what we argue about the most, but I don't want to."

Sharon let out a gasp at the mention of adoption. Her head was spinning with all the information, and she was getting even more and more irritated with her own son, the son she thought she'd raised to be responsible.

"Erin, how old are you?" Sharon asked, trying to gather more information.

"22," she smiled proudly. "My birthday is March 1, so maybe the baby and I will have the same birthday."

Sharon just nodded. Ricky was turning 29 in two weeks. What was he thinking?

"So, what is your plan for the baby?" Sharon asked. "Have you thought about that?"

Erin picked at her salad, which had been delivered, as well as sipped on her milkshake, "Well, I guess I'll have the baby here. I don't know where to go. My sister said I could stay. She told me I should then get a lawyer and sue Ricky for child support, which is the only way I'll have any money for the baby. I'm not sure what I'll do for work. Right now, pregnant dancers aren't a big-ticket item, but if my body bounces back, I can hopefully start dancing again. My sister could watch the kid while I work. Ricky has made it clear he's not interested in "my drama" as he called it. I need the money, and dancing, it's very good money, especially if I can find one of these big paying clubs, you know places where the guys have tons of money."

Sharon cringed again, listening to Erin's story. Honestly, Sharon felt like her own son couldn't be this terrible. Maybe Erin wasn't being truthful about everything.

"Erin, Ricky will be here tomorrow. Can we meet again and sort all of this out?" Sharon asked, "I'm sorry about all of this. I didn't know anything about you, and I'm not happy at what I'm hearing about Ricky right now. That's not how he was raised," Sharon told her.

Erin looked up, "Ricky will be here? Tomorrow? Great," she mumbled, "I really don't want another argument. I have told myself I wish I hadn't met him, but then again, I wouldn't have this baby coming. As much of a life change as that's going to be, I won't give up my baby."

Sharon nodded, "I respect that. Erin, yes, he will be here tomorrow. My husband, Ricky's stepfather, drove up to San Francisco to speak with him. He's planning to bring him home tomorrow. We were shocked by all of this, and I'm hoping we can all sit down and sort this out tomorrow. You may remember him; he was one of the detectives there this morning. Tall, silver-gray hair."

Erin frowned, "Silver fox? Oh, I remember him. Good dresser. He's the type I would peg for lots of money if he came into the club. Ricky and his friends were like that. Good looking, well dressed. Computer guys from San Francisco-they all have tons of money. I guess I can meet tomorrow," she shrugged, "nothing else going on tomorrow. Listen, Mrs. Raydor, I'm really tired. Can you take me home?"

Sharon gave her a sympathetic smile, "It's Sharon, first off. Please call me Sharon, and actually my last name is now Flynn. Sharon Flynn. Raydor is still used at work, and it's my fault I was still in work mode. Plus, it also clarified who I was in relation to Ricky. Yes, I'll take you home. Let's go, and tomorrow, after you get some rest, we can figure this out."

The two women left the diner, with Sharon completely ready to blow her top.

Sharon had a hard time leaving Erin at her sister's place. It was in a dangerous part of town, the apartment was disgusting, and Sharon didn't think there was a bit of food to eat there. She tried to offer Erin a place to stay with them, but Erin refused. For now, Sharon would let it go. She wasn't going to let Ricky just walk away from this, but she also wanted to hear his side of the story. This was a huge mess.

Sharon arrived home to find Rusty and Gus working in the kitchen, "Hey Sharon," Rusty greeted her, "hungry?"

Sharon just smiled at the two, "Oh, I had a salad, but what are you making?"

"Baked chicken with vegetables," Gus added.

Sharon hummed, "Well, my salad wasn't huge. Alright, I did miss lunch, so maybe I'll have a little."

"Sharon, where's Andy?" Rusty asked noticing he wasn't home. "It's not his meeting night."

Sharon nodded, "No, it's not. He's in San Francisco. It's a long story; let me tell you over dinner." Sharon did just that; she told the guys all the details as she knew them over dinner. Both were just speechless, and once dinner was over, she excused herself to call Andy and update him. She's started to clear the table, but the boys had both jumped up, telling her that she had bigger things to handle. For that, she'd been grateful. She spoke to Andy, who at that point, was still on the road, but he promised to update her as soon as he'd spoken to Ricky. The story still had a lot of holes, and hopefully, Ricky could fill them in tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, you're in luck! I finished up reviewing this chapter and because my wonderful Clemson Tigers won the national championship last night, and I couldn't sleep, I got more done than I had planned. Here's the next chapter, and it's okay if you want to hate Ricky...**

Sharon and Andy spoke on the phone for a couple of hours, late into the night. Sharon updated Andy regarding her conversation with Bambi, or Erin, and Andy did the same about his conversation with Ricky. Neither one felt they were getting the full story; both Ricky and Erin seemed to be holding back, but the question was what exactly. Andy hoped he would get more information out of Ricky on the drive back to LA, a drive that was coming much sooner than he wanted. He was in desperate need of sleep.

Ricky offered to do most of the driving. He'd taken the rest of the week off work; he figured it might take that long to deal with things. He did feel badly that Andy had driven all the way up here, so the least he could do would be to offer to drive the way back to LA. Whether that was a good decision or not, remained the question. Having Andy in the passenger seat only gave him time to think, come up with questions, and demand answers.

"I know there's more you aren't telling me," Andy said quietly after they had been on the road about 20 minutes. Until this point, they hadn't said much to each other. It was early, just after 6AM, and while tired, Andy wanted to get back home to where things could be figured out quickly.

"I'm mad at her," Ricky said, staring at the road.

Andy raised his eyebrows as he turned to face Ricky, "It takes two to tango," he offered.

Ricky glared at him, "Yeah, I know that. There's no way, though, that kid is mine. I'm mad because she trapped me. She was pregnant beforehand, got me to marry her, and now, she wants money and all from me. It's a trap."

Andy had turned to listen to Ricky, "Why are you so sure it's a trap?"

"Because it is. Too much of a coincidence we get married, then she shows up pregnant," he shook his head. "That night is so fuzzy, but it doesn't sound like me. I know it's Reno, and like Vegas, anything goes, but that's not like me. I mean, I remember parts of the night. I remember the wedding chapel, and I know they'll marry you there no matter what, but still."

Andy gave him a glare, "Yeah, because everyone acts rationally with alcohol," he said sarcastically. "Listen Ricky, I'm probably the guy who would understand the most. I drank my way through bottle after bottle before I figured out what a screw up I'd become. I did my own damage, and I know that I did some really dumb things when I was drunk. Don't assume you would have good behavior even with alcohol. If you are mad, be mad at yourself for letting alcohol take over your night, possibly change your life."

Ricky smacked his hand on the steering wheel, "Ugh! This isn't fair! That kid isn't mine. She's a dancer in Reno. No telling what she's been doing there, and she traps me. Then, she has the nerve to show up on my doorstep, telling me, no trapping me with a kid! This isn't how my life is going to go. I don't want kids-don't tell mom that," he commented, glancing at Andy. Andy held up his hand, "I don't even want to really get married. I like being single, being just a guy. Even older, I just want to do whatever. I saw 30 years of marriage torture, and I don't want that. I just want to go to work, hang with the guys, workout, travel, and date occasionally. I don't want a wife, a kid-certainly not a kid that isn't mine."

Andy let Ricky vent and listened, "Well, have you asked her for a paternity test? That would certainly end all of this."

Ricky nodded, "Yeah, I have," he said running his hand through his hair and taking a deep breath. "I asked her several times. She said she won't do it while she's pregnant. She sounded all scholarly and stuff, saying she read it was dangerous for the baby," he grunted, "Convenient," he mumbled. "She told me she would once the kid is born, but even then, I asked her to put the kid up for adoption. She won't do that. Said she can't do that to her kid. So, I'm trapped."

Andy pursed his lips, "I'm hearing a lot of 'poor Ricky' mentality. This all didn't just happen to you; you put yourself in this situation. Granted, I can't guarantee that's your kid, but you made decisions that brought you to this point. I can't disagree with her about the test. It is dangerous. You should know that; computer whiz you are, you can look it up. As the mother, if she doesn't want to give it up, then she doesn't have to do."

"What about what I want?" Ricky asked.

"What you want? You wanted to get drunk with your buddies. You did that, and now, you have to deal with anything you did while doing exactly what you wanted. I wanted to drink my way through life and keep my family. Unfortunately, actions have consequences. Mine were losing my family, my kids. It took me years to figure that out and even longer to start to mend it. This mess," he gestured, "well, there's no telling what you've gotten yourself into right now."

"So, then I'm just stuck with a kid I don't want?" Ricky asked, "Say it's mine, which it's not going to be. I'm stuck with a kid because she's too selfish to give it up? Give it a better life? What, she saw me as the payout guy-the guy who would give her and her kid a better life, so she traps me?"

Andy glared at him again, "Selfish? Who is the one sounding selfish? Ricky, this is still all about what you want-what will be good for Ricky's life. Grow up! You're an adult, and sometimes, life isn't about what you want. Take your mother-do you think the last 30 years of her life have been about what Sharon wants? NO! None of it, until the last few years. She gave up a lot of her career for what was best for you and your sister. Ricky, your mother is one of the smartest people I have ever met. I cringe when I think of the work she could have done as a detective the last 30 years. She didn't, though, because she wanted the safer job, IA for you! She didn't do that job for herself, for what she wanted. NO, she did it for you, to make sure she was home at night, not working, and not dead. My goodness, her being a cop at all, was all for you and Emily. She didn't want to do that; Jack forced her hand. She wanted to be a lawyer, and man, she would have been a good one. Your dad sucked all the money out of her, out of your lives, getting through law school, and when it was time for him to take care of you, Emily, and your mom-to allow your mom to get the education she wanted, that they'd agreed on, he left! He up and left! Ricky, until you grow up and realize life isn't always fair and about what you want, well, you're going to be disappointed."

Ricky glanced at Andy, "Mom never told me that. I thought she liked IA and liked being a cop."

Andy nodded, "She did, but it wasn't what she wanted. I'm forever grateful that's what she is and was because it put me in her life, but she had a very different plan. You have a different plan, but it may need to change. Ricky, if you're going to continue with your 'life not fair' junk and 'what about me stuff,' you're talking to the wrong person. I drove up here because I felt I could relate best to this, and I still do. I know you had a lousy father, still do, but I'm here. I was a lousy father, but I got my act together. Whether you are this kid's father or not, you've got to get over your pity party."

The car grew silent for awhile, both me digesting the conversation. This was the first time Ricky had ever had a man, a father of any sort, really chew him out. Jack hadn't done it. In fact, when he'd called Jack for help with his current mess, Jack had chuckled saying the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Jack had also gone on to tell Ricky that it was good he wanted to end things; marriages were useless and ended up destroying everything. He told Ricky he was smart to remain single, and he'd get things taken care of. Jack then had the nerve to ask Ricky if the girl he'd upped and married was at least good looking. Ricky had ended the conversation when it got to that part. Jack still had trouble being an adult himself.

Problem was Jack was a man of few promises. The paperwork wasn't done quickly, and that had let to Erin showing up on Ricky's doorstep. Now, it was going to be much harder to get rid of her. He would, but it wouldn't be as easy as it would have been before. This kid was tying him down at least until it was born. Once it was born and the paternity was established, showing he wasn't the father, he was going to get this marriage taken care of.

"She having a boy or a girl?" Andy asked, breaking Ricky's train of thought.

Ricky glanced over and shrugged, "Not sure. Really don't care. It's not mine."

Andy, clearly irritated turned again to Ricky, "What do you mean, not sure? Does she know, or is she one of these waiting to be surprised?"

Ricky shrugged again as he drove, "Don't know. I have no idea what her appointments have been like."

Andy's irritation grew, "Ricky, you are legally married to her. Haven't you made sure she has gotten medical care?" he asked, knowing that Sharon had said the night before that Erin hadn't, or at least Erin made it sound like she didn't have any care.

"Look, I have no clue what she's done or whether she's had care. I was the nice guy, gave her a place to stay. I didn't have to do anything more," he offered.

"Ricky! You do need to do more. Look, if you have to stay married to her right now, the least you could do is make sure she has medical care. Come on! Even if this isn't your kid, that's the decent thing to do. You have a good medical plan. She should be on that. That would allow her access to doctors, hospital. What is she going to do when she has the kid?" Andy asked.

Ricky shrugged again, "Not my problem. I don't know. Look, I don't want to add her onto my plan. It's my life, not hers. My job. My work doesn't need to hear about my personal drama, and if I go in there to add on a spouse, even for a few months, well, that's a mess. No way. She got herself into this; she can get out."

Andy shook his head; Ricky was going to be a harder case to crack than he thought. The guy sounded heartless. He knew things with Erin, or Bambi, whatever, weren't good, but still, the girl was young, pregnant, and alone. Andy continued to glare at Ricky; this was not the kid Sharon raised. He decided to continue his questioning.

"So, if the kid isn't yours, whose is it?" he asked. "She have a boyfriend?"

Ricky shrugged again, "Don't know. Look, like I said, I barely know her. She showed at my place last summer, beginning of September. At first, I didn't even let her in, not until I had proof she was even pregnant. She showed me her stomach then, visibly growing, but I wanted proof, so she took one of those pregnancy tests. Then, I told her she could stay awhile, till we figured things out. I was trying to get that annulment then, but she put the brakes on that. Told her to go to one of those free clinics, but she didn't want to. That's when I thought something was fishy, so I made her go," he explained.

"Did you go with her?" Andy asked, irritated.

"Yeah, I did because I thought she was still lying. Plus, I wanted to know for sure when she'd gotten pregnant. Best estimate then was she's due beginning of March, but who knows," he sighed. "Technically, that time frame lines up, I guess," he nodded, "but again, I'm convinced she's trapped me as soon as she found out she was pregnant with some other guy's kid. I doubt there's a boyfriend. She probably doesn't even know the guy, and she just latched onto me."

"So, how long did she stay with you, and what happened with that?" Andy asked.

Ricky thought a moment, "Ahh, she showed up first week of September, and I guess then, she was past the first trimester. She stayed until Halloween, so I guess two months. I haven't heard from her much since, just a text message here or there, mainly about the kid. She keeps sending me pictures of her growing stomach, like I care. Asked me if I had any name ideas, but that was months ago now and like I'd want to help name her kid. When she was here, we argued all the time. I'd worked extra-long hours just so I didn't have to come home to argue with her. You know my townhouse has two bedrooms. She stayed in the guest room, where you stayed last night. She kept telling me how much she loved the place, couldn't believe I owned it. I'm telling you, she's after me because I make good money. Heard I was a computer guy in San Francisco, and all of a sudden, it's time to fork over the money."

"What did she do when you were at work? I'm guessing she hasn't worked since she left Reno?" Andy asked.

Ricky shook his head, "She told me they asked her if she was pregnant and when she told them she was, they said she wouldn't be able to make good money for them. Called her fat. So, that's when she came here. No, I have no idea what she did when she was at my place. Cooked some, I guess. She tried cooking some, but we never really ate together. I'd just find leftovers in the fridge when I'd come in at night, and they were decent. I told you-I'd try to work until 9 or 10 at night, just to avoid her and leave by 6 in the morning. It was so tense at my place. I guess she just hung out all day. She likes to read, I know that, but that's about it."

Andy was getting angrier by the minute, "So, other than the clinic, what other care did she have?"

Ricky shrugged, "None, I guess. She didn't have a car, and I didn't take her. I don't know if she made any friends, but maybe that's why she came to LA. Her sister is in LA, and maybe she got some help from her."

Andy stopped talking at this point. He was afraid his blood pressure was through the roof. Sharon was not going to believe this. If telling her about Jack's involvement wasn't bad enough, she'd be disgusted to hear about Ricky's flippant attitude.


	5. Chapter 5

**Darth Raydor has arrived...enjoy!**

It was one thing for Andy to hear all of Ricky's banter; it was another for Sharon. Ricky and Andy arrived back in LA by mid-afternoon. Sharon, knowing that their family had a lot to discuss, took off the afternoon. That worked well anyway after they spent the morning filing all the appropriate paperwork to close out their case. Sharon was at home when the guys arrived, and since she'd been alerted to Ricky's flippant behavior, she was ready.

"Hi Mom," Ricky nodded to her as he entered the house. "Nice place. Sorry I haven't been here to see it. Can't believe you've almost been married a year now," he nodded.

"Apparently, the sentiment extends to you. I find out now, in January, you got married in June, and your pregnant wife, regardless of what you say right now, is due to have a baby in March," she said stone-faced, arms crossed. Andy had darted into the restroom when they arrived, and he now rejoined Sharon in the kitchen where she'd just said that to Ricky.

"Mom, I-" he started to say, and Sharon put up her hand.

"Listen to me, Richard William Raydor, we are going to sit down in the living room right now and discuss this. At 4:00, you are going to drive over and pick up Erin and bring her back here so we can all hash this out," she said sternly.

"Mom, really? You're going to tell me to go get her?" Ricky started.

"Watch it!" Andy jumped in, pointing his finger at Ricky, "Respect your mother. I know for a fact she didn't raise you like this. Whatever issues you have, get over them; check them at the door. This is our house, and you will not disrespect her or anyone else here," Andy said very firmly.

Ricky just nodded and moved into the house, toward the living room, "I'm going to use the bathroom first," he nodded and disappeared, deciding that looking for it was better than asking where it was at the moment.

Sharon turned to Andy, "Thank you," she said, and she leaned up to kiss Andy, "for so many things," she said as she kissed him again. He put his arms around her, "Oh, it's good to be home. You're lucky I wasn't arrested for strangling him on the way home," Andy said into her hair as he held her.

"Thank you for bringing him home, but Andy, from what you said, he sounds terribly bitter," Sharon said pulling back. "The little I got from Erin, well, she indicated the same thing. It's strange I want to believe her and not him right now."

Andy nodded, "Let's go talk to him. It may get ugly," he said putting his arm around her.

The conversation had gotten ugly. Ricky had repeated almost everything he'd said to Andy during the car ride down to LA. Sharon was disgusted with his attitude, and by the time she sent him out to get Erin, she needed a break.

Sharon stood by the windows, looking into the backyard, "Penny for your thoughts," Andy said softly as he stood behind Sharon and started rubbing her shoulders.

"Mmm, I don't think you want to know," she sighed. "I haven't even addressed the part regarding Jack yet. That can come later," she shook her head.

Andy nodded, "Okay, so what's the goal here? Obviously, things need to be handled. No matter what, Erin needs to deliver a healthy baby."

Sharon nodded too, "Andy, she's tiny. I'm worried she isn't eating well, and her sister's place, it's awful. I shudder thinking of any baby living there. I think Ricky at least needs to get her on his healthcare. On paper, they've been married months. That should be simple, and she will need the care, even with any sort of grace period. No matter what, Ricky needs to do that, pay for whatever, simply because they are married."

"Okay, we can work on that. Now, for the rest, do you think she's conning him?"

Sharon thought a moment, "My gut tells me no. Now, I can't tell you if Ricky is the father, but I don't think it's some setup, some conspiracy like he thinks. He may not be the father, but I think she's a lost, scared, young woman right now with no job and a major responsibility growing everyday."

The two didn't have longer to talk because Ricky had returned, "We're back," he said, as he walked in ahead of Erin. Andy shook his head, noting that Ricky hadn't even held the door for her. Ricky definitely knew better.

Andy looked to Erin. She was tiny, which was something he hadn't noticed yesterday. She was probably just over five feet tall, especially compared to Ricky being over six feet tall, and she had almost no meat on her bones. She was all baby, that was for sure. Unlike yesterday, her blonde hair wasn't teased out. It was hanging loosely around her face, and Andy saw just how young she looked. She had on almost no makeup, and Andy could see she looked tired. Ricky flopped down on the couch, and after seeing that, Erin sat down at the other end of it, squeezed into the corner.

"Erin, thank you for coming," Sharon smiled at her, "can I get you something to eat? Drink?"

"Um, no, I'll be fine," Erin nodded.

"Erin, I picked up cookies from the bakery on my way home. Are you sure?" Sharon asked.

Erin looked at her hesitantly, "That does sound good. I didn't eat lunch," she added, and Ricky rolled his eyes.

Andy jumped in, "Ricky, get up and get moving. Get her something to eat and drink. Go!" he motioned for him, and Ricky did that, almost as if he was a small child. It was then that Sharon noticed Erin's clothing.

"Erin, do you have maternity clothing? Isn't that what you had on yesterday?" Sharon asked.

Erin looked down, frowning, "I only have a few things that fit at all," she motioned. "I know this is tight, but it's what I have. My sister's boyfriend gave me a few of his old shirts, but well, I like wearing my own clothes, and I like feeling myself. This kid has me feeling anything but myself."

Sharon chuckled at that and sat down opposite Erin on the other couch, "Oh, I know that feeling," she nodded, and Andy joined her. They talked for a couple of minutes before Ricky returned with food. Sharon noted he'd actually done the right thing; he'd made her a turkey sandwich and brought her a couple of cookies with a glass of water. Sharon nodded at him, still irritated that he'd been told to do even that.

"So, listen," Erin started the conversation, "I don't want anything but for Ricky to pay child support. I will give him a divorce once the baby is here and that can be ironed out. I'm just protecting myself. He doesn't have to have anything to do with the baby, but I can't do this on my own, and I think he needs to at least pay for his child. I read that much, that he can be required to pay."

Everyone remained silent, letting that sink in, and Ricky muttered, "Told you, money," as he shook his head.

Andy and Sharon both glared at Ricky, and Erin spoke up again, "Ricky! This is your baby," she moved her hands to her stomach, pointing at it. You did this; we did this. I'm sorry you don't want to deal with this, but I am. Do you think I wanted to be out of a job at 22? I was trying to get my life going. I liked my life. I liked dancing, and then this happens," she said as she started to cry.

Sharon and Andy couldn't tell if she was a good actress or whether she was telling the truth. Ricky wasn't buying it, but they'd had about enough of his behavior, regardless.

"Ricky," Sharon said trying to mediate, "you are legally married, correct?"

Ricky nodded, "Yeah, we are," he sighed. "That part did happen."

Sharon bit her lip, looking at Andy, and Andy spoke up, "I think the first step would be talking about this baby's arrival. It's coming sooner than you might want to think, but I believe we all need to agree that a healthy baby is the top priority, along with your health Erin. Regardless of anything else, marriage, paternity, this young woman needs to deliver a healthy baby. Ricky, imagine if that was Emily. You'd want that, right?"

"Well, yeah," Ricky shifted, "of course."

Andy nodded, "Okay, that's the first thing. Erin, what care have you had?"

Erin finished chewing her bite, "Umm, well, Ricky made me go when I was there last fall. I think I was about 14 weeks or so, right?" she said turning to him.

Ricky had his hand on his leg ankle; his leg was crossed over his knee, "Yeah," he added, "I guess. I didn't pay that close attention."

"Anything else?" Andy asked.

Erin shook her head, "No. They gave me some prenatal vitamins, but I ran out. No other care," she nodded.

"Okay," Andy said again, "first thing, you need a checkup, immediately, like tomorrow. Ricky, you are going to take her to a free clinic here and you are going to add her onto your insurance, whether you want to or not. Hospitals are expensive, and you will pay the deductible and anything else; that's the least you can do now. Insurance will cover other expenses, but Erin needs care. As your wife, you need to do that for her, period. You yourself told me you made plenty of money, and right now, you are going to use that to help this woman deliver her baby."

"But, I don't want-" Ricky started to say.

"Richard!" Sharon jumped in, "What you want is long gone. We all just agreed we want Erin to safely deliver this baby, yours or not. We are going over the steps to get there, and this is part of it. Do I need to say more?" she glared at him.

Ricky put up his hand in defense, "No. Fine."

"Second," Sharon started up from where Andy had left off, "You two are going to work together. You may not like each other, but right now, you are stuck with each other. You both decided to get married, whether you like it or not now, and you are going to deal with that. So, here's the deal. Andy and I talked about this, and you have two options. It's up to both of you to agree, but you will choose. Neither of you are wanting to act like an adult, fine. We'll do it for you now because your behavior is terrible, and this baby's life is more important than that. Quite frankly, neither of you are putting the baby's health first. Choice one-Ricky, you take Erin back to San Francisco with you, and you allow her to stay with you until the baby is born, when Erin, you will have a paternity test and sign the divorce papers. That will all be spelled out in a contract if we need to go that route. Choice two-Erin stays in LA where Ricky you will drive down here each weekend to check on her. No exceptions. Erin can stay here because where you are living isn't appropriate, and you will go to your appointments and such. When the baby is born, Ricky you will be here, and after again, Erin, you will do the same things-paternity test and divorce papers. Anything from the paternity would be handled in the divorce papers, but the two of you need to decide if Erin stays here or if Ricky will be driving back and forth. Ricky, let me be 100% clear-if you opt to drive back and forth and you don't show up, I will personally drive Erin to your place and that will be the end of that. With you going back on your end, then I'm not sure Erin would be asked to proceed with her end-divorce papers, in any timely manner. You two choose. We're going to put dinner in the oven, and we'll be back," Sharon said firmly and stood. Andy did the same.

"Act like an adult for once," Andy snapped as he turned and followed Sharon to the kitchen.

Sharon and Andy refused to go back into the living room, wanting Ricky and Erin to talk. They hadn't heard any screaming, so that was a good sign. They stayed in the kitchen, getting everything ready. 30 minutes later, dinner was ready, and Andy decided to check on things.

"They are both sitting on the couch; neither one has moved, but they seem to be talking a bit," he nodded to her. She returned the nod.

Sharon gave them a few more minutes and then walked out to call them to dinner. Both got up, and Sharon and Andy sat on the same side of the table, forcing the other two to sit on the other side.

"Rusty joining us?" Ricky asked, the first polite thing he'd said all evening.

"No," Andy shook his head, "It's Wednesday. He has a late class on Wednesdays," and with that, he motioned for the two to sit. They sat.

"We talked, and Erin is going to stay at my place," Ricky opened the discussion. "I don't want to drive back and forth every weekend. She can stay at my place, and she's agreed not to try and take me for my home or anything when we sign the papers."

Sharon nodded and glanced at Andy. They both had guessed that would be the decision; from what Ricky had been saying, they didn't think he would give on driving back and forth from LA to San Francisco. It was a long drive.

"And, I will sign the divorce papers the day the baby is born," Erin added, "as long as there's something written up agreeing that Ricky will pay child support when I get the paternity test back."

"I'll speak to Dad to get him to draw up the correct papers. That will save me some money, and Erin is welcome to have another lawyer look at it if she wants. I just want out and no connection to her or her kid," Ricky sighed.

"If the two of you would look over the papers for me," Erin indicated, "I will trust you. You've tried to be neutral, and I'm hoping you won't allow any divorce papers to treat me badly."

Andy and Sharon glanced at each other, nodding. Progress, "Well," Andy said, "that sounds like adults for once. Let's eat. We can talk as we eat now that we're making some progress."

"Get up!" Sharon yanked the sheets back, to a grumbling Ricky. Sharon had blown into the room like a tornado. He couldn't remember the last time his mother had to get him out of bed in the morning. Scratch that, he couldn't remember the last time she had to drag him out of bed."

"Mom, I'm a grown man!" Ricky said, sighing, "Why?"

"Then act like it!" Sharon said sternly. "Get up. You're still my son, and if you're acting like a child, I'll treat you like one. Get up. You are getting showered, dressed, and you are going to get Erin."

"Why?" Ricky sighed, "She was here for hours yesterday. We didn't kill each other. We came up with a plan, and I'm taking her to the medical clinic this afternoon."

"Exactly," Sharon said, "This morning, you are taking her shopping, and you are buying her some things she can wear. She has nothing, and once again, she is your wife. You may not like her right now, but you are going to be a decent human being and help her out. Even if you can't stand her, do the right thing, Ricky. I've raised you to help others in need. No matter whose child that is, she's in need of help. So, you are going to take her to the mall, and you are going to pay for no less than five outfits. She needs clothing. Get up!" she said sternly again and turned to walk out.

Ricky sighed as he rolled over. March couldn't get here soon enough. He'd sent Jack a text the night before, and Jack had agreed to meet with him for dinner. What a day-he had to spend it hauling Erin around and then dinner with dear old dad. He was going to press Jack for those papers because as soon as Erin had that baby, he was going to untangle himself from her.


	6. Chapter 6

The end of the week couldn't come fast enough for Sharon. She hated admitting it, but Ricky needed to go back to San Francisco. His behavior was disgusting to her, no matter what his personal thought of Erin were. The more time she spent with Erin, she really didn't think this was a huge con. Erin may not be sure of the baby's father; that was something to be determined, but Sharon really didn't think Erin was in it for a con.

Friday morning, Sharon and Andy arrived at work, and she settled in her office while Andy got setup at his computer. Within a couple minutes, Provenza walked in, coffee in hand, coming from the break room. He walked over to Andy's desk.

"Ricky leave?" he asked.

Andy nodded as he said, "Yes, and I hate saying it, but finally. Kid has a lot of growing up to do for someone almost 30. Took Erin with him, so we'll see if they kill each other."

Provenza nodded as he sipped his coffee, "You mentioned Jack was stopping by last night. How'd that go? I was glad to not get a call out to my Captain's home for a murder," he said smugly.

Andy glared at him, "You're welcome, even though it took every ounce of me not to punch him. Guy was almost gloating about Ricky with a 'hot one' as he said. Asked Ricky if he could send him the name of the place she starts working again after she has the kid and he divorces her-can you believe that? It disgusts me to think Sharon was married to that dirt bag for 30 years," he shook his head. "Guy's a creep," Andy muttered.

Provenza made a face, "Yeah, well, thankfully she did untangle herself from him. Not like he wasn't doing all this behind her back for years. At least now, she has the respect of everyone who knows her for dumping the idiot."

"I thought I was your only idiot," Andy smirked.

Provenza waved him off, "Don't tempt me. I'm in a good mood."

"Oh yeah," Andy asked, "why?"

"Oh, nothing huge, but Patrice wanted to go away for the weekend, and I got some good deal Buzz showed me on The Groupon," he waved, "Some hotel and spa thing for her in San Francisco. It's further than I wanted to go, but a good deal, and you're in luck; I'm even taking off Monday. She thinks I spent a fortune. Good old Buzz and his searches."

Andy chuckled, "Well, enjoy. I know we're going to enjoy a quiet house this weekend. It's been tense all week," he said as he started flipping through financials.

By the end of the day, everyone was wrapping up for the weekend. They weren't on call, and Provenza was getting excited about his getaway. Everyone had laughed when they asked him if they were driving up that evening. He told them he wasn't wasting one hotel night on just getting there late to sleep. No, he and Patrice were leaving at 4AM to arrive and have the whole day to enjoy before having to cough up the cash for the hotel.

As Sharon and Andy were walking out, Sharon stopped, "Lieutenant, do have a nice weekend," she smiled at him, "Oh!" she exclaimed, "I hate to ask, but is there any way you could take three clothing items Erin left here? I normally wouldn't care and would leave until my kids visit again, but she doesn't have much anyway, and well, she may never be here again too."

Provenza thought a moment, "Can I leave it at the hotel desk for them to get?"

Sharon nodded, "That would be fine. In fact, Ricky needs another chore to add to his list of things to do, so that's great. I'll drop it off later this evening."

Andy and Sharon waved to Provenza as they left, and once they got in the car, Sharon started to chuckle as Andy pulled out, "What?" he said as he turned and grinned at her.

"Oh, just the idea that Ricky will have to go to Provenza's hotel to get Erin's stuff. I wonder how their drive went today," she said as she pulled out her phone to text Ricky. Andy drove while Sharon checked in with Ricky.

"Well," he said she slept most of the way, which I'm sure she's exhausted. I remember that part-so tired you can't even focus. He said she was getting situated in her room, and he was out getting takeout," Sharon told Andy as she read it on her phone.

"Did he get dinner for her too?" Andy asked.

Sharon glanced at him, "You know, it's sad that I now have to ask him that, but good point."

Andy shook his head; Ricky was still so bitter about something he'd gotten himself into, at least the marriage part.

A few seconds later, Sharon nodded to Andy, "Yes, he said he even asked he what she wanted."

"Progress," Andy indicated, as they drove home. "Listen," he said moments later, "what do you think about going up there next weekend to check on them? I know it's a long drive for a weekend, but I'm still not convinced the two aren't going to kill each other."

Sharon turned and smiled at him, "Thank you. I was thinking of the same thing, and I couldn't bring it up. It seemed to be asking too much."

"Well, you know, regardless of any of this, I want Erin to have that baby and get back on her feet. If it's not Ricky's, she's headed back to Reno, and we can't stop that. It's her life, and it will be her kid. If it is Ricky's kid," Andy trailed off.

"Then, we have a grandchild entering the world with parents who hate each other, and we'll be needed more than ever," Sharon sighed.

Andy reached over and grabbed her hand, "We'll go next weekend."

Sharon and Andy were glad they could get away the following weekend. Ricky and Erin hadn't killed each other, but she was having some health issues. Ricky had finally gotten her a doctor's appointment there, and she was not gaining weight. On top of that, her blood pressure was higher than the doctor wanted to see, but they all knew she hadn't been eating well, nor taking good care of herself. At this point, she was at 34 weeks, and they were hoping she could gain some weight and bring down the blood pressure. She was told to get some very easy exercise, just walking, which was something she hadn't done much of. She also had a slew of vitamins to take. It was definitely concerning to Sharon and Andy; they knew about pregnancy, and while Ricky was just reporting the facts and showing now concern, they knew it could bring about a baby with some problems at the start.

Sharon and Andy left after work on Friday to drive up, and they drove halfway there before staying overnight at a hotel. They'd get up early in the morning to finish the drive. The two arrived at Ricky's townhouse shortly before lunch.

"Mom, Andy," Ricky said as he answered the door, "Come on in," he opened it for them, gesturing them into his townhouse. Sharon had always chuckled at what a bachelor pad Ricky had. It still was, even with Erin staying here right now. Sharon hugged him as she entered, and Andy patted him on the shoulder.

"Where's Erin?" Sharon asked.

"Sleeping. That's all she's been doing," he rolled his eyes. "She walks sometimes, but I really don't' want to just walk around the block everyday. That and all the doctor's appointments I have to take her to. It's embarrassing at work. They asked why I keep leaving early, and I finally told them I had a friend who needed some help," he said as he rolled his eyes again, "Friend is stretching it."

Andy gave him a disappointed look as he moved into the kitchen, "Ricky, got any coffee?" Andy asked.

"Yeah, sure," Ricky replied as he moved into the kitchen to make the coffee. Sharon followed him, knowing the hallway that led to the kitchen also led to the living room. She walked into the open kitchen living room area and looked around.

"Ricky, you wouldn't even know she's staying here," Sharon said glancing around.

"That's the plan," Ricky frowned, "out of sight, out of mind."

As Sharon glanced around, she spotted something out of place and turned to Ricky, raising her eyebrows. His gaze followed hers, and he waved it off, "Yeah, car seat. Apparently, they won't let her leave the hospital without one, and the sooner she's out, sooner she's gone. So, yeah, I got that contraption," he waved.

Sharon looked at Andy with a surprised expression. Andy followed up with Ricky, "So, you actually looked up something and went and got it?"

Ricky shook his head, "No, course not. I told you; I really don't care anything about kids. No, she did that hospital tour thing the one day. Her doctor suggested it, and she came home telling me about having to have the car seat. The nurse gave her a list of ones, and I just ordered the first one on the list."

Andy and Sharon's gaze met, and they both shook their heads. They were pulled out of that by Ricky.

"So, fascinating discussion I heard from her the other night," he nodded, glancing upstairs to indicate Erin.

"What's that?" Sharon asked.

"So, I am telling the truth. I'll be able to prove it soon. She's been on the phone with some guy all this week. He's called every evening, and she always disappears with the phone. It's fine with me because I don't have to try and make awkward small talk, but I'm telling you that I'm going to be right."

Sharon frowned, "Okay, so if that's true, why did she leave Reno and come here?"

"Told ya," Ricky said as he handed coffee to both, "money. She knows I have plenty of it, and she's here to con me out of it. Kid isn't mine. She married me when I was obviously not okay enough to object, and this is a con."

All of them were quiet for a few minutes, thinking. Finally, Sharon broke the silence, "Ricky, whatever is going on, do the right thing as a human being here. Just get her through this, and well, if she's conning you, then you can send her on her way. At least you know you helped an innocent child."


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you very much for the reviews! Sorry this chapter is shorter...**

Sharon and Andy returned to work Monday morning after their long weekend, most of which was spent driving up and down the California coast. Both were glad for the visit; it reassured them that things were going as best as they could considering the situation. Now, though, both were having doubts about Erin and her intentions. Ricky's actions through all of this had not been good; they knew that, and they weren't excusing that, but they also couldn't discount that he may be right. Erin hadn't been around them most of the time they had been there. She had slept a lot, as Ricky said she did. The four had all eaten dinner together, but she mainly retreated to her room. When Sharon asked her about the baby, she gave facts, but otherwise remained quiet. They learned about her hospital tour and things that would happen when she did have the baby. She'd put on some weight, which was a relief, especially to Sharon. While still tiny, Erin at least looked more like someone closer to delivering than about halfway through a pregnancy. The baby seemed long; Erin was waddling around, all baby, and everyone could see she was uncomfortable. She'd had several ultrasounds, always refusing to find out the baby's gender. She had told Ricky that she didn't have much joy in her life right now, and waiting to find out if she was having a boy or a girl was getting her through this mess. Still, Sharon and Andy both noticed what Ricky had; Erin received a call after dinner, from a guy, and she quickly retreated to her room, where she stayed the rest of the night. They only saw here again briefly the next morning when they brought bagels by for breakfast before getting back on the road, and even then, they had to send Ricky upstairs to knock on her door and wake her. Neither felt comfortable just leaving without saying good-bye to her. They knew they might not see her again; getting back to San Francisco in the next six weeks before she was due was going to be hard.

Luckily for them, Monday was a quiet day at work. No murders, at least for their division. They needed the break; they were exhausted from the long drive. By lunchtime on Tuesday, both were starting to feel human again.

A knock on Sharon's door pulled her head up from staring down at time sheets and expense reports, but she didn't need to actually look up to know the knock. Apparently, the one knocking didn't need permission to enter. Sharon glanced up to see Andy already in her office, hands resting on the arm chairs in front of her desk.

"Lunch?" he asked, looking at his watch. "I'll go heat up those leftovers if you're ready to eat."

Sharon looked at her watch, "Oh gosh, sorry. Yes, it's definitely time to eat. I'm sorry I kept you waiting; you must be starving," she chuckled.

Andy just shrugged his shoulders, "Ahh, but the company I knew I'd have for lunch kept me going. I'll fix lunch and bring it back here."

The two chatted over lunch, trying to decide what they were going to fix for dinner, when Sharon's phone went off. She put her fork down and frowned as she looked at it.

"What?" Andy asked, finishing his bite.

"Ricky," Sharon stated, "He never calls during the day, and lately, neither of us have been at the top of his list of favorite people. Wonder what's up?" she asked as she answered the phone.

"Ricky, hi honey, what's up?" Sharon asked as she used her fork to poke through her salad.

"Mom!" Ricky yelled into the phone, out of breath, "It's Erin. She fell down the stairs at my place. I'd come home to get her for her doctor's appointment, and I was mad that she wasn't ready. I went upstairs to find her still sleeping, and we got into another argument about her not being ready. She threw on some clothes while I waited downstairs. I told her I only had a short window before I had to get back to work, and so she as rushing because of me. She started down the stairs, and she just fell. I don't know if she fainted or whatever, but she fell. Mom, there was so much blood!" he yelled into the phone.

"Ricky! Listen to me, are you at the hospital?" she asked, which caused Andy to look up from his lunch. He put his fork down, waiting for details.

"No! I'm following the ambulance. Oh, she wasn't conscious, and the one time I'm glad I live less than two miles from the hospital. She's in the ambulance; we should be there in another minute," he said panicked.

Sharon nodded, as she stood, to which Andy took that as a signal to start packing up their lunch, "Okay, we're on our way. Keep us posted, and we'll get there as soon as we can. It will be tonight, though, but we'll get there. Ricky, it's not your fault."

"Yeah, Mom, it is. You've been going on and on about doing the right thing and making sure she has a healthy kid, and I just caused her to fall."


	8. Chapter 8

**You'll want to sit back and get comfy for this chapter; it's almost 4,000 words. Enjoy!**

It took Andy and Sharon almost 10 hours to get to the hospital in San Francisco. Traffic had become a nightmare, and while he grumbled that they might have been better to fly, Sharon kept calming him down, saying that there was no telling how long they'd be there, and it would be good to have their own car. Besides, a simple flight up the coast wasn't even that simple. It would have required a huge expense for two last minute tickets, navigating through airport security, only to wait for hopefully, a flight that wasn't booked. Sharon was a nervous wreck; it didn't help that they hadn't been able to get ahold of Ricky in hours. After his frantic phone call, they had managed to secure things at work and be on the road in 30 minutes. Thankfully, both had extra clothes at work; they grabbed what they had and left. Anything else they needed, they could get in San Francisco. Once they were on the road, Sharon called Ricky, but she didn't get much information.

"Ricky, what's going on?" she asked.

"I don't know; I don't know, Mom!" he said in a complete panic. "They wouldn't let me back there with her right now. Asked me if I was the husband, and I guess I am, so they threw a bunch of paperwork at me. Mom, she wasn't conscious. So much blood, everywhere. Mom, it's bad. They were running around, shouting things. I have no idea," he said, clearly distraught.

Sharon closed her eyes and nodded, "Ricky, we are on the road. You know it will take us awhile to get there, but we are on our way. Call us when you know more," she told him and hung up. Problem was that call never came. Sharon and Andy both had tried to call Ricky several times; they'd even tried Erin's phone on the off-chance Ricky had it with him. They wondered if maybe his phone had died. Certainly, this wasn't any normal situation, so maybe he didn't have a charger with him. The two themselves were working themselves into a panic, and the driving woes weren't helping. They'd been stuck in heavy traffic, fog, and even an accident on the road, not theirs, but one that kept them sitting for an hour. If there was ever a day for road rage, this would have been it. Andy was ready to use sirens and lights, but Sharon refused to break even that law today. Sharon had talked to all the kids, even Andy's son during the day. Everyone was hoping for an update soon.

By the time they had reached the hospital, it was almost 11:00 at night. Once they parked, they almost ran to the main entrance. Thankfully, they were at a large hospital with flexible visiting hours, and some areas didn't have restrictions.

"Erin Raydor," they asked the nurse at the desk, as soon as they entered.

"Ahhh, let's see here," the nurse said, "she's up in ICU, but if you aren't immediate family, you won't get in there."

Sharon and Andy nodded, knowing the drill. They'd dealt with plenty of "family only" issues during Andy's health problems.

"Yes, thank you," Sharon smiled at her, "can you tell us anything else?" she asked, knowing she most likely wouldn't get anywhere, but it was worth asking. "We've just driven here from LA; she's our daughter in law."

The nurse frowned, "No, sorry. ICU is all I can tell you; third floor, South Tower."

Andy thanked the nurse, and the two started to weave their way through the massive hospital. It took them another 10 minutes to find the ICU wing, and once there, one of the nurses came out to speak to them.

"We're here about Erin Raydor," Sharon started to explain again. "She's our daughter in law."

The nurse nodded, "She is here, yes, but immediate family only. If you were her parents, that would be fine, but I'm sorry. Otherwise, her husband would have to allow you to see her."

Sharon and Andy looked deflated again, "We are looking for our son, Ricky Raydor, her husband. We were hoping he is here. We can't get him on the phone," Sharon explained.

The nurse shook her head, "He's not here. She's alone right now, and I don't think I have seen him. She's only been here a couple hours, came up from post-op, and that's about all I can tell you right now. I will say there's a no cell phone policy in much of the hospital, so that may be why you can't get him."

Andy sighed, "Do you have any idea where to suggest we look for our son?" They were really hoping Ricky had his phone off and wasn't being even more irresponsible, but now that it had been over 10 hours, they were getting more and more frustrated. At least they had a bit more information. Erin was alive, critical, apparently since she was in the ICU, but alive. They had no idea on the status of the baby.

"No, I'm sorry," the nurse said sympathetically. "Perhaps try the cafeteria or the chapel?"

Both nodded, "Can you tell us where how to get to those areas? We need to find him," Sharon pleaded.

"Sure," the nurse said, giving them directions.

Another 15 minutes later, the two had navigated through more of the hospital to the cafeteria, but sadly Ricky wasn't there.

"I'm beginning to see why you were so out of sorts when I was in the hospital," Andy said trying to break the tension.

Sharon looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Well, navigating this place, any hospital! You need a map. I'm sure the thought of leaving my hospital room to do anything-cafeteria, chapel, whatever, well it would have been enough to drive you crazy, leave you out of sorts," he chuckled.

Sharon just hummed at him. She wasn't in a joking matter; Erin's condition wasn't known, the baby's fate wasn't known, and they couldn't find Ricky.

"Well, he's not here," Andy said looking around, "After we find him, I'll come back here for some coffee, okay?" he said, pulling Sharon into his side. "Let's try the chapel."

The chapel wasn't empty, but Ricky wasn't there either. They did find the chaplain, praying quietly.

He heard people, and he stood up and turned to them.

"Can I pray with you?" the chaplain asked.

Sharon and Andy looked at each other and nodded, "Yes, thank you," Sharon said, and the three all sat there together quietly for a few minutes. When they were through, they explained they were still looking for their son.

"He was down here, but it's been hours ago now, and at the time, he didn't know anything about his wife," the chaplain said, trying to remember. "I'm sorry I don't have a better guess on time, but I tend to lose track of time while I'm here. It's peaceful here. You did say his wife fell. Have you checked the NICU?"

Sharon and Andy's eyes grew wide at the thought. The NICU-they hadn't checked there. In their attempt to find Ricky, they hadn't thought about the possibility he'd be anywhere near babies. He made it very clear he didn't like kids, and he was ready for Erin to move on. Of course, after seeing her unconscious in a pool of blood, at the bottom of his stairs, he most certainly could be in the NICU.

"Thank you," Sharon sighed with relief, "We haven't checked there. In all our frantic state walking around the hospital, we, two LAPD detectives, didn't think to try the NICU."

Sharon and Andy began to weave back through the hospital, this time working their way toward the pediatric area and the NICU.

"Andy, he's got to be here. Why didn't we think of it before now? Oh, gosh, in all of this, we haven't found out how the baby is," Sharon said almost in a panic.

They arrived at the NICU, to be greeted by another nurse. Sharon started speaking before Andy could even get out a hello, "We're looking for our son. We can't get any information, and he isn't answering his phone. We've been all over the hospital and hope he is here, Ricky Raydor?" Sharon asked.

The NICU nurse studied her sheet, "Sorry, I just came on at 11, so I'm still getting updated myself. We had two new additions today, and I haven't seen either of them yet. Don't worry; we have six nurses on. You just happened to get the one with the least information at the moment."

Andy nervously chuckled, "Such our luck today," he shook his head at the reference to their long drive and "tour" of the hospital.

"Oh yes, Raydor. We do have a Baby Raydor who came in today. Let me see if your son is inside. Like I said, I just came on for the night shift, and we have several parents who are here around the clock," she explained as she turned to head back into the NICU.

After the nurse left, Sharon turned and almost collapsed into Andy's chest. He rubbed her back, "Hey, at least the baby is alive. Erin's alive. That's both good news. We didn't even know that much awhile ago."

Sharon just nodded, unable to speak. Finding Ricky would help, and they could only hope he was here.

The nurse reappeared, "You're in luck," she smiled, "he's in there. Now, I'll tell him he has family out here. You said your name was?"

"We're his parents," Andy spoke up, "Sharon and Andy Flynn," to which the nurse nodded and disappeared again. Andy patted Sharon's back, "We found him. We'll get some answers."

There were chairs there outside the NICU, and Andy guided Sharon over to them. She wouldn't sit down, but at least he got her out of the actual doorway to the NICU. Anyone coming out wouldn't literally walk into her now. It took almost 10 minutes, but the doors opened.

It was the nurse again, "I'm sorry. I checked the log sheet, and he's here, but when I went to tell him you were here, well, he's asleep, poor guy. Other nurses said he's had a rough day. Passed out asleep in there. Most people have a pretty rough first day here, well, the babies do too, but the parents, they are usually a wreck the first day. Some of that is due to most of the moms are somewhere else in the hospital, so I'm not surprised he fell asleep. You said you're his parents, so the grandparents?"

Sharon and Andy quickly glanced at each other. They may or may not be the grandparents, but that wasn't going to be decided tonight, and Sharon quickly answered, "Yes, we are. We would very much like to see him, as well as the baby."

The nurse nodded, "Okay, well grandparents are immediate family here, so if you follow me, you can wash up and gown up. This is a sterile environment since we have so many sick babies. Once you're ready, I can take you to the isolette."

Sharon and Andy smiled, the first sense of relief they'd had all day, and they didn't really even have any more answers. They were getting closer to Ricky and the baby though.

"I'm sorry," Sharon said chuckling, "but in all the worry, chaos, and whirlwind to get here, is the baby a boy or a girl? We don't even know."

Andy chuckled too, "Yeah, that is a critical piece of information we don't have."

The nurse smiled, and she looked down at her patient notes, "Well, congratulations because it's a boy," she smiled. "The note here says his name is Brody. We like to use their names in here. They may be little tiny people, but they are people with names."

Andy squeezed Sharon's hand, and she let out a noise that was a cross between a squeal and a sigh of relief. Andy wasn't sure he'd heard that sound before from Sharon.

Almost 10 minutes later, they were both gowned up and ready to see Ricky and meet Brody. Andy had warned Sharon about not getting too excited; last time they had talked to Ricky, it really had sounded like he was telling the truth. Right now, they were glad to help. Their son and his wife, even if that marriage was a mess, were in need of help, and they were here to do just that, help.

As they followed the nurse through the NICU toward Brody's isolette, they couldn't help but notice all the tiny babies. Some were much bigger than others, but it was so sad to them to see. It was a good way to mentally prepare themselves. The nurse turned back to them, whispering, "Don't be scared by all the tubes and wires. They are tiny humans with a lot of strength in them. Now, those closer to the door, they are closer to leaving the NICU and heading home. Those who are new, they are back here in the back. Over time, he'll move as he makes progress. Depending on things, that could be sooner or later."

They both nodded at what she said, still looking at all the babies. Then, they saw him, Ricky. He was in the back corner of the NICU, hunched over in a rocking chair, asleep. Sharon had always said he could fall asleep anywhere, and he had, here in the NICU with all the machines beeping. He'd moved his rocking chair up next to the isolette, sitting it sideways, and his hand, even though he was asleep, was up against the glass. Brody, tiny little thing, was asleep too, tubes everywhere. Sharon couldn't get over how small he was; it took her breath away.

"Like I said, the tubes can be scary. Why don't you wake up your son, and he can fill you in. Then, if you have other questions either the nurse or one of the NICU attendings can help you. We have nurses and two doctors here all night," she smiled.

Andy nodded, "Thank you," as she moved by him.

"Ricky," Sharon gently shook him while Andy looked in on the baby. Long, but tiny, almost no weight on him. Andy hadn't seen a baby that small before.

"Ricky," Sharon said softly again, nudging him slightly. She was trying not to startle him and thus the baby too.

That didn't work; Ricky popped up, letting out a quick breath, "Mom, Andy," he said wide-eyed. Oh, I fell asleep," he started to panic, as he turned to look at the baby.

"Ricky, it's okay. He seems to be okay for the moment. Why don't we step over here to the corner for a moment so you can tell us what's going on? I'm afraid if we leave the NICU, it will take us another hour to gown up to come back in," Sharon smiled at him, trying to lighten the mood.

Ricky nodded and stood, all the while staring at the baby. He ran his hand along the outside of the isolette while Sharon and Andy moved to an unoccupied corner of the room.

Sharon and Andy watched as Ricky shook himself out of his slumber and woke himself up. He looked down at the baby again and made his way across the room. It was only a few steps, but to Ricky, it seemed like he was walking across the hospital.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you with any further updates," Ricky shook his head, "It's been an absolute mess here today. My phone died after I got here, and when I finally got up here tonight, they have a charger to use, but no calls in here. They have an area around the corner, outside of the NICU to make calls, but I didn't want to leave him," he sighed.

Sharon and Andy nodded, and Sharon continued, "What can you tell us now? We haven't gotten any information, other than Erin is in the ICU. We had the worst time finding you; we've been all over this place looking for you."

"Sorry about that," Ricky said, scratching his head with the back of his hand. Sharon had to chuckle; that was a nervous Andy move, and you'd think the two were biologically related. "I have more of an update on Brody than I probably do on Erin. Brody's hanging in there, I guess he was around 34 weeks 3 days. They said each day is important, whatever that means. He was a lot smaller than most 34 week preemies, but the doctor had been telling Erin she needed to gain weight. I guess that's why. I was told most babies born when he is are close to five pounds. He's 2 lbs. 14 oz., so not quite three pounds yet. It's crazy how small he is. He's having the most trouble with his lungs. They aren't fully developed, and apparently, sometimes they can give the mom a steroid shot before delivery to help with the lung development. Well, he didn't get that. He's also having trouble regulating his temperature, which the doctor said is also normal. Big thing will get him to breathe on his own, which he was having trouble with, so he's got all those tubes and all now," he waved at the baby."

Sharon and Andy stood there, taking in everything, "Ricky, what happened when you got to the hospital?" Andy asked, changing his stance to look like he was pondering an idea.

Ricky shook his head, "Everything fell apart, that's what," he said as he sighed. "I called you after we got here, waiting on information. They came out and found me, asking if I was her husband, and I said yes. So, they ran me back in the ER-they didn't even get her up to labor and delivery; it was that bad. They ran me back to where she was in the ER, and they took the baby right there, delivered him in a matter of seconds. Doctor said she'd had a complete placental abruption, so if they didn't get him right away, he'd die. He came out blue," Ricky said, almost tearing up. He looked awful, and he didn't cry at all. I know babies are supposed to cry. Erin was out; I don't know if she's regained consciousness or not yet. It was done so fast. He was out, and they rushed him off. They rushed her off right away, and I was just left standing there. I really don't know how I got up here, other than some nurse came and got me, telling me where she was taking me, and here I am. The nurses here helped me call downstairs to the ICU a few hours ago to find out about Erin, but they didn't have an update. Last thing I was told, she was in post-op. She had a lot of damage from the fall; she fell from almost the middle of the stairs, so it was pretty high. I think she fainted because she was dead weight coming down those stairs. She's been so tired and hasn't been feeling well. Besides the problems with Brody, she apparently ruptured part of her spleen, but I have no idea how badly. The NICU nurse said she'd called down to the surgeon to tell him where I was, but I haven't heard anything more."

Sharon and Andy let out their breath. Neither realized they'd been holding it, but even seeing the outcome now, they were terrified just listening to Ricky's recount of the events.

"Tell you what," Andy said, putting his arm around Ricky's shoulders, "you and I are going to take a little walk. We're going to walk this maze of a hospital because you know, I've been in the car for 10 hours," he glared at Sharon, earning a slight chuckle from her, "we're going to take a walk and go to the ICU. You can check on Erin there; they'll let you in, and we can get an update on her. Then, we're going to navigate to the cafeteria again. Lucky for you, I've been there once today, so I vaguely remember how to get there. We're going to get all of us something to eat and especially coffee. We'll all need some coffee, and then I'll be free to complain all night how terrible it is, how much worse it is than the stuff we have to drink at work. Now, while you and I are doing that, your mom here," he hooked his thumb over at Sharon, "she's going to go into Mama Bear mode, scratch that, Grandma Bear mode, and she's going to sit here with Brody. Now that she's here, you and I both know, it will take an earthquake or something to get her out of that chair. We'll be back here shortly, but for now, you have places to go and people to see."

Ricky nodded, taking it all in. Sharon watched Andy with Ricky, and she smiled brightly. Even in the midst of things, he was trying to joke around and lighten the mood for their family. Ricky looked over and caught the nurse's attention, motioning her over.

While they were waiting, Sharon smiled up at Ricky, "So Brody?" she grinned. "Where did you come up with that?"

Ricky shrugged, "I didn't. I remembered Erin telling me names she liked on the drive up here a couple weeks ago. It's just one of the names I remember. Honestly, I wasn't paying much attention, but when I got up here to the NICU, that was one of the first things they asked me-his name, and I didn't even know. I couldn't even go ask her, what she wanted. I hope she's okay with it because after she talked about it in the car that day, she hasn't said a word about names. I-" he started to say, but he stopped when the nurse walked over.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

Ricky nodded, "For now, yes. Listen, we," he indicated Andy and himself, "are going to stop in the ICU to check on Brody's mom, and then we're going to get some coffee. My mom is going to stay here with my son if that's okay."

Sharon's eyes got wide as she glanced at Andy. He returned the look. Brody's parentage still remained in question, but so far, Ricky was doing a halfway decent job, even when he didn't know if this was in fact his son. Sharon also wasn't sure if Ricky was just saying that because it was much easier to explain to the nurse than the real story.

"That would be fine," the nurse nodded, "If anything changes, we'll page you. You have that NICU pager we gave you, right?"

Ricky patted it on his belt, "Yeah, I've got it. We won't be long," he nodded to her, and he turned to Sharon, "We'll be right back," he squeezed her hand.

Sharon nodded as Ricky moved past her. Andy kissed her forehead, as he walked by, and Sharon smiled at him, "Thank you," she nodded.

"Sure," Andy replied, "figure he probably needs to talk to a guy right now, and what better guy than one who screwed up his family so badly it took him over 20 years to put any semblance of it back together? We'll talk; you sit."


	9. Chapter 9

"Thanks for coming up here so quickly, Andy," Ricky said as they were quietly walking down the hall. The hospital was relatively quiet; it was now the middle of the night, and only those who were still up and around were there for some serious stuff.

"It's no problem," Andy said, "although, I could have done without all the traffic issues today," he chuckled. "Still, there's no place we'd be. You've got a mess, and that's what families do. They help each other. Your sister, brother, my kids, they've all been worried about you today, checking in with us during the drive."

"Really?" Ricky said surprised. "I mean, I guess Rusty and Em don't surprise me, but your kids? It's my dumb mess."

Andy nodded, "It is. In fact, that's probably a great way to describe it-your dumb mess, but families-good families-don't check out on you for dumb messes."

Ricky nodded and remained quiet as they walked to the ICU floor. Once they reached it, Andy sat down outside in the waiting area while Ricky started to head inside.

"Listen, Ricky, let me know if you need me in there, okay? You have to okay it, but I'll be happy to sit here with Erin. I know you two aren't exactly speaking to each other, and I'll be glad to sit with her. Someone needs to probably, and right now, you need to probably be upstairs with Brody," Andy explained.

Ricky nodded, "Okay, thanks. I'll speak to them and figure out a plan. I'll be back soon."

Andy dozed in his chair, and before he knew it, Ricky was gently shaking his shoulder. Andy opened his eyes to see Ricky now sitting down next to him.

"Well, how is she doing?" Andy asked, "What time is it?" he yawned.

"It's after 3:00. I was in there a couple of hours. I sat with her, and then I fell asleep," he sighed. "I'm exhausted. She's not awake yet. They said her body is just healing, and that it wasn't uncommon. They expect her to wake up sometime tomorrow. I guess they stuff they had her on was pretty strong with her surgery and all. She looks terrible. Black and blue eye and face from falling-hey, she kind of looks like you did when you fell at Mom's condo back with your little incident, as you call it," Ricky chuckled. Andy glared at him.

"Such a comedian even with everything going on," he commented.

"Sorry," Ricky gave him a small smile, "I guess I needed something to relieve the stress right now." Andy nodded, understanding. "So, she's pretty banged up. Cut on her forehead, a cracked rib, and she broke her wrist."

Andy winced at everything, "Ouch," he said, "Man, she did take a fall."

Ricky nodded, "Yeah, the surgery went well. She should recover okay from all that, but they're keeping a close eye on her tonight. Her body just had a lot of trauma. As soon as she seems to stabilize, they'll move her out of the ICU."

Andy nodded, "Okay, would you like me to sit with her now?"

Ricky shook his head, "No, I think it would be a good idea if you and Mom went back to my place. Go ahead and shower, grab a nap, get something to eat, and then maybe you can bring me some stuff in the morning? I just have on these clothes. I know I need to go home eventually, but I'd feel a lot better going home if Brody has been stable for the first 24 hours of his life, and Erin is awake."

Andy nodded in agreement, "Sounds like a plan. Let's get you some coffee, something to eat. We'll tear your mom away from the NICU, which will be no easy feat, and we'll put the plan into action. We aren't going to do any good if we are all dead on our feet; you're right about that."

Sharon and Andy returned to the hospital the next morning by 9:00. They had been able to sleep for a few hours, and that allowed them to feel like they could tackle another day. Arriving at Ricky's place at been a bit disturbing; they saw just how badly of a fall Erin must have taken. They cleaned up Ricky's place, which took them a good hour, and then they fell into a deep sleep. After waking and showering, they surveyed the kitchen for coffee and anything decent to eat.

"I'll see if I can find anything to eat," Sharon commented, "if you want to make the coffee. He should at least have some coffee."

Andy nodded, going about things, as he looked around the place, "There's the car seat," Andy shook his head, "Crazy to think Brody is already here and that thing would swallow him right now."

Sharon sighed, "I know. He looks so sweet, yet so sick still. I just want to scoop him up and hold him. It's such a shame Erin isn't even awake to know about him yet. She'll want to see him right away. Andy, I hope she can give him a good life."

Andy nodded, "Me too. Kid already has a rough start. When Ricky and I were walking last night, he mentioned that this could have been much worse."

Sharon looked at him, "Ohh? How so?"

"Well, her doctor told Ricky that her blood pressure had spiked apparently, at least that's what it looks like. Her fatigue and all were part of a larger problem, and even with all her issues with Ricky, Ricky wasn't the cause of all that. No, if she'd just been on her own, without care, she and or Brody could have died. I guess it was getting toward preeclampsia and could have gotten worse from there."

Sharon just nodded, "I started thinking about her blood pressure and all last night while I was there with Brody. I'm so glad they both made it. Now, if we can get them both out of the woods and on the road to recovery-" she trailed off.

"Ricky can get to the bottom of this, and everyone can move on," Andy stated.

"Right," Sharon sighed. "Well, I am pleasantly surprised to find a pretty stocked fridge. I know that isn't Ricky's normal style. It looks like Erin did some shopping."

Andy peaked over her shoulder, "Good, eggs," he commented. "Why don't we have some eggs and toast. That should hold us, and we can stop and get Ricky something to hold him."

Sharon nodded, "Sounds like a plan. So, I think one of us should sit with Erin."

"Already two steps ahead of you," Andy winked. "I told Ricky last night I'd sit with her."

"We can take turns," Sharon offered. "I know you have a soft spot for babies."

Andy grinned, "I wouldn't be opposed to sitting with the little guy."

Sharon and Andy were finally able to convince Ricky to go home, shower, change, and get some rest. He really didn't want to leave, but they promised to call if anything changed on either patient. They almost had to push Ricky out the door, but finally, they got him to leave. He promised to return in the afternoon, and with that, Sharon settled in with Brody for the day, while Andy took up camp with Erin.

By mid-afternoon, Ricky returned. There wasn't much to report, which was a good and bad thing. Erin was still out, so Ricky stopped in there first to check on her before going back to sit with Brody for the evening. Andy had spent the day watching a lot of sports, and even he had to admit he was getting tired of watching them. So, when Ricky popped in, Andy took that as a chance to take a break.

"I'll go upstairs and check on your mom and Brody. Then, maybe we'll get out of here for a bit to get something to eat. We'll come back here then in the evening if that's okay?" he asked.

Ricky nodded, "Sure, sounds good. I'll check in here, and I'll be up soon."

Ricky sat down in the chair in Erin's room and sighed. This was a mess, a huge one. Just when he thought things wouldn't get worse with her, this had happened. He'd called work to explain, and when he expected to get chewed out for needing to take some emergency leave days, he didn't. Instead, he got chewed out for not telling them he was married, not telling them he was having a kid, and not telling them he needed help. It was easier to take the lecture than it was to try and explain that the situation wasn't at all what it seemed. Honestly, he hadn't told anyone he was still married. Even his buddies thought the annulment thing was long done. Explaining he was married meant telling them why, and he didn't want to talk about the kid. His friends didn't know, well, now they did. He'd hoped to get Erin in and out of his life without the embarrassment of having to explain it to all his friends. Keeping her away from his life had been easy; he rarely had people over. It was easier to meet friends' places. He'd done everything to stay away from the house; she was there now, and he needed her gone. All of this now, it was just going to delay things even more.

A groan pulled Ricky from his thoughts. He'd been sitting there, elbows balanced on his knees, head bent, thinking. He quickly looked up; Erin's hand was moving. Ricky stood to look down at her. It appeared she was waking up. He brushed her hair out of her eyes; she really looked terrible, and he felt so badly she'd gotten so hurt. Erin's eyes flew open when Ricky moved her hair out of her face.

"Hey there," Ricky said to her, "you're back."

Erin, trying to come out of her haze, grabbed her stomach, and her eyes grew wide, not having the baby there, "I- I lost- I- what happened?" she said trying to find her words, looking totally terrified.

Ricky sat down on the side of her bed, closing his eyes, as he sat. Seeing this and fearing the worst, Erin started crying.

"Oh, no, no!" Ricky exclaimed. "Crap. I'm totally messing this up already," he said trying to calm down Erin. "You fell down the stairs. Do you remember that? You have a lot of injuries, but the baby-he's upstairs in the NICU."

Erin's eyes grew wide as Ricky spoke, and she also noticed she had a cast on her wrist at this point. She tried to shift, seeing all her injuries, which only caused her to let out a small cry in pain.

"Shh, shh," Ricky said, "calm down. Just hold on, and I'll explain."

"It's a boy?" she said, "You said he's upstairs in the NICU?" tears in her eyes.

Ricky nodded as he patted her arm. He was trying to be very aware of her injuries. Besides what was broken, he was sure she was in agony from bruises and all, "Yeah, you had a boy. He's tiny, 2 lbs. 14 oz., which is apparently really small even for when he was born. He's having trouble breathing and maintaining his temperature. Right now, he's doing okay. He didn't have any injuries from the fall; you are the one who took the brunt of it. The NICU doctor is hopeful he'll be just fine. It's going to be a long road, but he's doing okay now. Brody may have to stay here a few weeks, but hopefully he'll be just fine and can go home shortly."

"Brody?' she asked, still in a bit of a haze.

Ricky nodded as he shrugged, "Yeah, I hope that's okay. Listen, I didn't know what you wanted to name him, and they wanted a name for him. They are big on names in the NICU; they want to talk to the babies just like they'd talk to anyone else. One of the first things they asked me was his name. I didn't know what to tell them because I didn't know what you had decided. If you want to change it, I'll tell them. I'm sorry."

Erin, who already had tears running down her face from the information overload, shook her head and tried to hold back her sobs, "No, that's okay. I do like that name. I hadn't picked one, but it sounds good. I can't believe this is such a mess. My baby-he's stuck upstairs alone. I can't believe this happened!"

"Hey," Ricky rubbed her hand, "It's okay. He's not alone. My mom and Andy are upstairs with him. He hasn't been alone since he was born. I've been up there almost the whole time. I just finally went home to shower, change, and get a few things. I'm on my way up there, but I stopped in here to see if you were awake."

Erin looked up at him at his words, "You've been with him? You hate babies. You want me gone as soon as I can get out of her."

Ricky nodded, "True, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be an awful person to some tiny baby. Erin, I'm not going to just ignore all of this. What? Do you expect me to just get up and go to work? That kid needs someone to be there right now, and until you can do that, well, I'm not going anywhere."

Erin closed her eyes, "I don't have the energy to argue right now. I need to go see him," she said eyes still closed.

"Nope, not until your doctor says you can get up. You have a mess," Ricky stated. He couldn't believe how tiny she looked there, lying in the bed. Her hair was a mess, long blonde hair. Her body was badly injured, and now that she didn't have a baby belly, she just looked so tiny and fragile.

Erin looked down at herself, now finally starting to come out of her haze completely, "What happened to me? I feel awful," she said closing her eyes again.

"Aside from the emergency C-section, you had a ruptured spleen, a cracked rib, the broken wrist, bruising all over your face and well, probably all over that side of your body. I didn't want to pry, so I haven't check. You have a concussion, and the doctor said your ankle wasn't broken, but it was most likely sprained. All in all, you are lucky to be alive. Brody is lucky to be alive; he almost died. I'll tell you all the details with that later, but I know this is all a lot to take in. Doctor said once you woke up, you'd most likely be moved to a regular room, and as soon as you can, I'll make sure you can see Brody."

Erin just nodded at all the information, eyes closed, "I feel awful. My head hurts. Everything hurts. I want to see my little boy. He needs to know I love him."

Ricky patted her hand, "He'll know. He's had a good day so far. I have this pager thing to wear, and they call me with anything," he said showing her the pager.

Erin opened her eyes to see where he was patting the pager, "What do they know about everything upstairs? What did you tell them?"

"Nothing yet," Ricky said. "Look, I'm legally your husband, so I'm the only person who could get any information. As soon as he was born, they rushed him off, and they rushed you off. Some nurse took me to the NICU, and well, I've been there since. It wasn't exactly the time to get into the 'he's not my kid' discussion. We can take care of all that when you're up and about, and he's out of the woods. For now, consider it a friend helping."

Erin opened her eyes and rolled them, "Yeah, because we're such good friends."

Ricky sighed, "Call it what you want. You're right; we aren't, but maybe you can at least consider my parents are your friends, and they are here to help."

Erin closed her eyes again and just nodded, "I'm so tired," she mumbled. "Do you have a picture of him? I want to see what he looks like."

Ricky grimaced, "No, I don't. Sorry. I didn't even think about that."

Erin's eyes popped open again, and she shook her head, "You don't even have a picture? Can you take one?"

Ricky nodded, "Yeah, look I'm sorry. I've been busy with everything, and you can't have phones on in there. I should have taken a picture," he shook his head. "I wasn't thinking, but I'll get one. He's beautiful, though," Ricky smiled slightly.

Erin's gaze drew down on him, "You think he's beautiful?"

Ricky nodded, "He is. He's tiny, and he has no weight on him, but he's really long. His fingers and toes are so tiny. Little bit of reddish hair, but not much yet. His eyes are really gray looking still, but they said that's normal right now. I'll get you a picture. You get some rest," he nodded to her and patted her hand. He noticed Erin had fallen back asleep, and so he slowly moved toward the door to update the nurses and head back upstairs. As he was walking out, he heard Erin mumble, "Thanks for taking care of our son."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you to anyone who is still reading! I appreciate the support. A few have asked if it's Ricky's baby-I guess we'll have to see what the paternity test says :) That isn't back yet, so instead, we can check in and see how things are going at the hospital...**

The next time Erin woke, she noticed she was alone, or so she thought.

"Why hello," she heard from the other side of the room. She turned, winching in pain toward the unfamiliar voice. "I'm Bonnie, your nurse."

Erin just nodded and tried to look around a little. Same room, but no idea of the time. She glanced over toward the stand by her bed in hopes of finding the time. She didn't see a clock, but she did see something new, a picture. Brody. It must be a picture of him. She moved, trying to reach out for it.

"Here, let me help you," Bonnie said. "I am guessing you are reaching for that picture of that handsome boy, right? He's a cutie, that's for sure. Your husband brought that picture down here a couple hours ago. He's been down here a couple of times tonight, but you've been out like a light."

Bonnie handed her the picture, and she drew in her breath looking at it, "Now," Bonnie said, "I know he looks scary there, all those tubes and wires. He's going to be okay; I know it. Your husband updated us before he went back upstairs. We are all saying a prayer for your little guy, but he will be ok. Just try to imagine taking him home in a few weeks, getting settled, and loving on that baby boy. For now, that hunk of a husband of yours is taking care of his family. You'll get there."

Erin started crying, "He looks so tiny. This is all my fault. My life is a mess, and he almost died. My husband, what a joke. All I needed was for him to be a father. This marriage is nothing. It's over. I signed the divorce papers a few days ago. I'm just ready to get out of here. My husband, that didn't work out like I thought at all. I just want my little boy and to go," she sobbed.

Bonnie, realizing she'd stumbled into way more than she had anticipated, moved to console Erin, "There, there," she said rubbing her back, "Listen, I don't know what kind of personal mess you have going on, but I can tell you this. Work on getting yourself better so you can take care of that little boy up there. He's going to need you, Mama. That's right-from now until the day you die, you're his Mama, and he needs you. Whatever you have going on with your husband, put it aside for now, and just focus on your little guy. Now, you need to rest. They're planning to move you out of the ICU in the morning. They could have moved you tonight, but you were sleeping, and your injuries are pretty nasty. So, tonight, hold that picture tight, and get some rest. Little guy is doing that too so he'll be ready for you. Soon enough, he'll be screaming his lungs out for you, and you'll be wondering when you'll ever get sleep. So, rest now. If your husband comes back down, do you want me to kick him out?"

Erin tried to take a few deep breaths and wipe her face, "No," she shook her head, "for now, he's the only one who can tell me about Brody. I promise we won't go rounds here in the hospital. I just want to know about my little boy. He's my everything."

Upstairs, little Brody was holding his own. Sharon and Andy had spent the day at the hospital, giving Ricky some much needed rest. After they had sent him home, Sharon had taken her place with Brody while Andy had camped out in Erin's room. Andy's day had been quiet, watching sports. Figures that as soon as he left the room and Ricky stopped by, Erin would wake up. The last thing either of them needed was an argument now. When Andy had gone upstairs to check on Sharon and Brody, he had to chuckle. Sharon was just enamored with that baby. You'd think a person would get tired of staring at a little baby, but she didn't. Andy grinned walking over to her in the NICU.

"He's got you wrapped around his little finger already, doesn't he?" Andy chuckled.

Sharon looked up, sheepish, "You might have been replaced."

Andy chuckled as he reached her and kissed her head, "Well, if I have to lose you to someone, I guess I'd expect a younger guy."

Sharon swatted at him; it felt good to do something normal like this. It had been a couple of stressful days. Sharon looked up at him, "How's Ricky?"

"Doing okay. He got some rest and couldn't stop thanking us for cleaning up the place. I can't imagine him having to go home and deal with that too. He was checking in on Erin, going to speak to her doctors, and then he'll be up. Even though it seems I've lost you to a younger man, might I interest you in dinner?"

Sharon acted as if she was pondering the idea, "Perhaps," she nodded, "I'm still old fashioned enough I like the guy to pay, and well, he's not paying," she motioned to Brody. They both chuckled.

"How's the little guy doing?" he asked, "Any update?"

"Oh yes. They check on him constantly. He's doing very well, considering. Little fighter, he is. He's doing better with his body temperature they said, but the breathing is still an issue," Sharon reported. Andy nodded, pulled up a chair, and the two sat.

"Well, I guess we'll just sit here and watch him get stronger. No place I'd rather be right now," Andy smiled, grabbing Sharon's hand.

Ricky appeared awhile later, and they could tell something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Sharon asked.

Ricky shook his head, "Nothing, I didn't get a picture of him," he frowned.

Sharon looked around, "Oh, honey, we can do that. It's fine. I took some earlier."

"Erin. She was just upset about it; that's all," Ricky said, frustrated.

"She's awake?" Andy perked up. "I'm down there all day, and now she wakes up?"

Ricky waved them off, "Yeah, sorry. My mind is all over. She woke up, and I told her what was going on. She wanted to come up here to see Brody, and I told her the doctor wouldn't let her yet. Then, she asked me for a picture of him. I didn't have anything."

Sharon patted his arm, "We'll get one. I may, in fact, have made some good friends with these nurses, and I bet you they can get a picture for you to take to Erin."

Sharon and Andy returned later that night, after getting some dinner, armed with food for Ricky. They had checked on Erin again, and she was asleep. So far, they'd missed anytime she had awakened. It was hard to tear Ricky from the NICU, even for food, but they managed to get him to eat a decent meal. After discussing things, they agreed on a strategy for the next day. Sharon and Andy would go back to Ricky's place to sleep overnight, and they'd be back first thing to trade out with Ricky. He could then go home to sleep through the morning, and then he could come back in the afternoon. It was the best they could do with the current situation.

"Before we go, why don't you check on Erin again. I know she was asleep a few hours ago when you checked on her, but that way, you'll have checked in for the night. We'll go home when you get back," Sharon suggested, and Ricky agreed. Once he returned, Ricky settled in for the night, right at Brody's side.

The next time Erin woke, she was in a different room, and she noticed she didn't have as many machines and things around her. She moved slightly, even though she felt terrible doing it. Once again, she had no idea what time it was, but as she shifted, she noticed the picture of Brody was nestled in the blanket by her hand. She picked it up, ran her hand over it, and smiled. She was determined to see her baby and soon. She shifted to look at the bedside table, and there again, she saw a new picture of Brody. It had to be a new one; she was holding the old one, and this one, he had a little hat on his head. While it was agonizing, she was able to reach for and grab that photo, now holding two pictures of her tiny son. With those in her hand and a ton of energy used just reaching for the photo, she drifted back off to sleep.

The trio kept up their watch for another day, and sadly then, Sharon and Andy had to get back to work. They hated leaving Ricky, but things were stable for the moment. He was shifting to a "day sitter" type of plan; he would come during the day and go home at night now. Sharon and Andy had left so abruptly, they had things to handle at work, even though work had been wonderful with everything. In all the planning, they had bought airline tickets to return the next weekend for a three-day weekend. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best they could do, and it was only a few days away.

Once Andy finally pried Sharon from the NICU, they got back on the road. Ricky promised to update them as soon as anything changed. For the moment, Brody was still holding his own, and Erin was stable, but still out of it quite a bit. The doctors were hoping to get her up and moving around soon, but her concussion and other injuries were still leaving her pretty unsteady on her feet.

Ricky had spoken to Erin on a couple of occasions, but mainly just to update her on Brody. The nurses had tried to get her to the NICU to see Brody, but as soon as they got her situated in a wheelchair, she threw up; her body was still adjusting to everything, and the nurses said they'd try again soon. Neither Ricky nor Erin had said more than basic pleasantries to each other, and since her breakdown with the nurse, Erin had remained stone-faced when dealing with Ricky.

When Sharon and Andy returned the next weekend, they could see tremendous progress. Brody was breathing on his own, and he'd gained several ounces. Erin had been able to see Brody for a few minutes each day, but she was still recovering herself. Ricky was doing okay juggling everything. He hadn't complained; he'd just gone through the motions each day-hospital, home, sleep, and repeat.

"Oh! He's looking so much better!" Sharon gushed when they finally got into the NICU. She had talked Andy's ear off the whole flight, telling him how she couldn't wait to see Brody.

"He is," Ricky agreed. "Look, he's even moved up in the NICU. He's not in the corner anymore," he grinned.

"It's good to see," Andy patted Ricky on the back. "Now, we've got this. Go down and see Erin. You said she needs to walk, so why don't you help her walk a lap or two and update her on this guy. We'll watch him," Andy encouraged.

"I don't know," Ricky shook his head, "we're barely speaking right now. She's been up here three times this week while I've been in here, and all she's done is cry most of the time. It's not going well."

Sharon gave him a sad smile, "Well, you need to be the bigger person and try to help her while she's still recovering. You've been keeping a good eye on Brody. Ricky, she still has a lot of healing to do, both physically and emotionally. Her hormones are crazy, and well, even if you don't want to, you should try to be kind. Remember what I always say-be safe and be kind. You're keeping Brody safe. Be kind to Erin."

Andy raised his eyebrows at Ricky, "I think helping her take a walk would be a kind thing to do," he suggested.

Ricky nodded, "Okay, I can't promise anything but I will try. I'll see if she is up for a walk. Thanks, guys."

After he left, Sharon turned to him, "You really are wonderful. Thank you. Ricky needs a strong man right now."

Andy shrugged it off; he wasn't trying to be anything out of the ordinary, "Ahh," he waved, "thanks. I just know that as much as they don't want to talk right now, those two need to do that. From my experience, what better way to talk than to walk laps at the hospital? You and I have a lot of experience doing that. We talked quite a bit while walking. Hey, it got us both to say, 'I love you,' didn't it?" he winked. "They need to figure out where things go from here. Erin's about to be discharged, and well, Brody's stay here is winding down too. Before we all know it, Erin and Brody will be out of here, they will have the paternity test results, and Ricky and Erin need this time to discuss what happens then."


	11. Chapter 11

Erin was finally discharged the day after Sharon and Andy went back to LA.. She had made a lot of progress, and while she was still in pain and bruised, she was doing much better. Ricky had been very grateful for Sharon and Andy' trip; it had allowed him to catch his breath and a bit of rest, he had been running ragged since the mess happened. He had been checking in at work, and things there were okay while he was on his emergency leave. He was going to have to get back to work, and now with Erin discharged, it was looking like it was time for just that.

"Do you have anything else here to pack?" he turned, asking Erin. They were in her hospital room, finishing up the last paperwork. Ricky was filling it out while Erin was packing the last of her stuff.

"No, this is it," she shook her head. "I will just take it upstairs."

Ricky got an odd look on his face, "Okay," he drew out. "I was just going to take it home."

Erin shook her head, "What's the point, Ricky? I'm just going to spend all my time here with Brody. As soon as he is able, we'll get out of here and out of your hair. No need to take my stuff anywhere. I do need that car seat from your place, and if you don't mind grabbing the other few things I have there, I will just keep all my things here."

Ricky threw his hands up, "This is insane! You can't live at the hospital for a couple more weeks. You are still recovering. My house was plenty fine for you before Brody came along; you can certainly stay there now. For his sake, we can get along. You're getting in that car I have out there and leaving this place. Brody will be okay for the rest of today; he's doing great, and the nurses are taking good care of him. You are going to go back to my place and get some rest. Tomorrow, you can come back here and stay all day. You can do that every day, but you aren't sleeping here because we can't stand each other."

Erin stood there speechless, "I'm just tired of fighting, Ricky."

"Well, you're in luck; we aren't fighting," he said as he grabbed her arm. "We are going home so you can rest."

Erin did rest and true to their words, they didn't fight. Ricky told Erin he needed to return to work now that she was out of the hospital, but that he would drop her off at the hospital each morning and pick her up on his way home. Truth be told, Ricky wanted a reason to check on Brody each day. After so many days of watching Brody's every movement, he felt a little reassured checking in on him at night. The paternity test hadn't been completed yet, but that was because they were trying to let Brody just stabilize. Brody's immediate health was more important at first, and now that he was improving, it was time for the test.

One evening when he arrived to pick up Erin, he found her sitting in the rocking chair rocking Brody. That had started to become a natural occurrence, but something was different.

"He doesn't have any wiring on him!" Ricky exclaimed as he walked over to Erin, looking around. "He's moved again too," noting his little isolette was now past the midpoint of the room.

Erin smiled at Brody, "Yes, he had a very good day. He's already up to four pounds. The doctors said it shouldn't be much longer."

"That's the first time you have smiled in a very long time," Ricky noted. "I'm glad he is getting better, and that pretty soon, you'll both be out of here," he added pulling up a chair to sit down.

Erin nodded, looking at Brody who was making tiny noises as she held him, "I realized today when the doctor was talking to me that I don't have a single outfit for him. I don't have anything for him to even wear when he leaves here. I was feeling so badly before he was born, and let's face it-we had a fight every time we looked at each other," she said shaking her head.

Ricky purses his lips, "Right. Stuff. Brody needs stuff. Kids cost money. Well," he said looking over Erin's shoulder, "looks like he's fast asleep, so let's get you what you need. Come on. I'll take you to the store, and you can get what you need for him. That way, you'll be ready when he can leave.

The shopping trip had been successful-Erin had found a few outfits, a diaper bag, and some other basics, but miserable for Ricky. It just highlighted how rough of a life Brody was going to have with Erin. Kids were expensive, and he hoped Erin's boyfriend or whatever she wanted to call the guy on the phone, could help. After all, that was the father, he knew. The mysterious calls had started again, and Erin disappeared each night. One night, Ricky finally asked.

"Why are you keeping your boyfriend a secret? After all this, don't you think it is time to just come clean? Call this for what it is? Using me for your kid?" he bluntly asked.

Erin turned to him with a look of total shock. She shook her head, stood up, and walked out of the room. Ricky heard her bedroom door close a few seconds later. She didn't come out of her room the rest of the night, and in the morning, he heard the front door open very early only to see her taking a taxi, most likely back to the hospital.

Sharon and Andy were due to visit again, but at the last minute, they were devastated to cancel their trip. A case had left them stuck in LA. It was probably just as well; things with Erin had gone from bad to worse since he'd asked her about her boyfriend, Brody's father. Ricky didn't follow Erin that morning, but he did come by to pick her up that evening as normal.

"Ahhh, Mr. Raydor," the nurse smiled at him when he arrived in the unit. You son is doing much better today. He's moved again, and he's about ready for his car seat test."

"Car seat test?" Ricky asked, smiling as he glanced over and saw that Brody had indeed been moved.

The nurse nodded, "Yes, we sit him in that, at the upright angle. He has to be in it a set time with no breathing issues. Once he passes, well, that's just about the last step before he can go home."

Ricky nodded, "I see, so you need his car seat here?"

"Yes, if you bring it, we can make sure it is going to fit him okay before his test. Your poor wife, she's still recovering herself and poor girl, she's passed out right now in our parent room," the nurse nodded.

Ricky looked toward Brody again, noting that Erin wasn't there. I'm sure she's comfortable, so I won't wake her now, but I'll sit here with Brody for awhile."

The nurse patted his arm, "You do that. Go ahead and pick him up; hold him. I know you only did that once, and it made you nervous. That sweet little guy, he looks just like you-he'll be tall and thin-already long. Nose and chin like yours. He might be tiny, but I can see those features. Sit with him; he can use some snuggles from his daddy."

Ricky just stood there as the nurse walked away. He turned around and looked at Brody, walking over to him. He was awake, which was something Ricky didn't see much. His big grayish eyes were still trying to focus, but he was kicking his feet around slightly. Ricky smiled down at him, "Hey, little man," as he scooped him up carefully and sat down with him in the chair. He studied him as he sat there with him, finally going home two hours later.

Sharon and Andy were relaxing on the couch after a long day when her phone rang late that night. Truth be told, they were both dozing and should have gone to bed long ago, but they'd been too tired to get up.

Sharon sat up quickly when she saw who it was, "It's Ricky," she said sitting all the way up and grabbing her phone. Andy was trying to pull himself out of his sleep daze.

"Ricky, it's late. What's wrong?" Sharon asked.

"Mom, does Brody look like me? Like I did as a baby?" he asked.

Sharon glanced toward Andy who was sitting there, with a questioning look on his face. She patted his knee to indicate there wasn't a problem with Brody, and as she was looking at Andy, she answered Ricky.

Sharon took a deep breath, "Ricky, he looks just like you. Smaller, but yes," she chuckled, "dead ringer. I noticed it right away. Your hair was darker, but Brody's hair is almost the same color as mine. Andy could even see it, but we haven't said anything because you needed to figure this out. You've been so sure of things for months, and we knew trying to convince you of something before you were ready wouldn't go well. We didn't want to fight, argue, with you. We wanted to be there for you, Brody, and Erin. This is something you needed to deal with when the time came. No amount of comments from us would get you to see what we've seen."

Andy, lips pursed, closed his eyes at nodded at Sharon's answer. Without hearing Ricky's question, he knew what Ricky was finally figuring out. He had Sharon had discussed it at length. She'd pulled out baby pictures of Ricky when they had returned to LA, and Andy couldn't believe the resemblance. Emily and Rusty had seen the pictures too, and they'd agreed. Everyone had been asked to let Ricky figure this out. They knew he would eventually, whether it took the actual test or his finally realizing it.

"Oh, I think I'm going to be sick," Ricky told Sharon.

Sharon gave Andy a sad smile, and Andy grabbed her fingers, holding them as she spoke to Ricky, "Ricky," she said in her sympathetic voice, "you can do this. You already are doing this," she encouraged, "You've been there for him since the moment he was born. Now, it's time to figure out how to be there for him for the rest of his life."

"Mom," Ricky said, voice teetering, "um, can I talk to Andy?"

Sharon drew back the phone, a bit surprised, but glad too. It didn't matter who Ricky talked to about this; she was glad he was talking, "Sure, honey," she said, as she passed the phone, "He would like to talk to you."

Andy nodded, giving Sharon a sympathetic look, and before he spoke to Ricky, he covered the phone, "I guess he's looking for someone who has messed up royally and put the pieces back together. Good thing I'm that guy."


	12. Chapter 12

**Trying to get this story finished soon...hope you enjoy this update!**

Andy talked to Ricky for over an hour. Sharon gave them some time to talk, taking a shower and getting herself ready for bed. She knew Andy would go over the conversation when he got off the phone. Sharon sat in bed, trying to read, but she felt her mind drifting constantly. They had a grandson, another one. She and Andy knew it and had been talking about what they could do for awhile now. She was having a hard time not laying into Ricky about everything, but she also knew that at some point, she had to let him come to terms with all this. She had laid into him when all this mess started, and thankfully, that had at least kept him involved in all of this. Sharon shuddered to think what life would have been like if Erin, who had been calling herself Bambi at the time, hadn't stumbled onto their murder scene.

Andy walked into the bedroom, phone outstretched, "He'd like to talk to you again and apologizes that it's now after 1:00 in the morning."

Sharon nodded and smiled at Andy, "Thank you, Sweetheart," she nodded toward Andy. He nodded back at her, and once she took the phone, he flopped onto the bed. The conversation had worn him out.

"Mom," Ricky said sounding very tired and stressed, "I'm sure Andy will talk to you about what we discussed. That's fine, but I need a different kind of help."

Sharon paused before she answered, trying to figure out what Ricky was asking, "Okay, what is it?"

"I don't know anything about what he needs. What do I get?" he asked.

Sharon smiled as she sat down at the kitchen table, "Well," she started, "what does he have already? Andy and I haven't been there in a couple weeks due to that case, so I don't know what has been done. I know you have that car seat, so what else does he already have?"

"Nothing," Ricky said almost ashamed. "I've gotten him nothing. I took Erin to the store days ago, where she got him like three outfits, a diaper bag, and a few other small things-you know, some diapers, wipes, and things like that, but Mom, I know it wasn't even $100 worth of stuff, so nothing. I'm a dad who didn't want a kid so much I've refused to do anything for him. I've got nothing."

Sharon stayed on the phone with Ricky another 30 minutes, laptop and pad of paper at her side. She gave Ricky some tips, and the two of them discussed quite a bit. When she finally hung up her phone, she sighed, looking at her laptop screen. It was on a picture of a stroller. She had a feeling Ricky was going to have a long night, well, what was left of it.

When she made her way to bed, Andy looked up, "He finally gets it."

Sharon nodded, "Yes, he does. Thank you for being there for him tonight."

Andy just nodded, "I remember that feeling, granted my situation was much different, and I'd already done permanent damage-divorced, no contact with my kids, drinking all the time. At least it's not too late."

Sharon smiled softly as she climbed into bed, "No, but the road to recovery, as you know, is a long one."

Ricky didn't sleep a wink that night. He didn't even try. Instead, computer whiz that he was, he stayed up all night doing a lot of research. By the first morning light, his credit card had gotten quite a workout too, many of the items he ordered available for in-store pickup instead of shipping, which would allow him to get them today. He'd also ordered probably way too many diapers, wipes, and such, but he had a feeling everything would be used. He called into work as soon as he could, explaining he had to get ready for the baby to come home. His boss was delighted to hear Brody was doing well, unaware of any issues Ricky had about Brody prior to this.

Ricky arrived at the hospital before 8:00 that morning, intent on talking to Erin. As Andy had pointed out to him the night prior, the first step was admitting things, and he had a lot of admitting to do to Erin. She'd been telling him the truth since the first time she showed up at his place. While he was right to have possible doubts, after not really knowing her at all, he realized he'd treated her terribly. Sure, he'd given her a place to stay, but that really was only after his mom and Andy had laid down the law for him. He'd picked his share of fights with her, and he hadn't done much to support her. Granted, there were two sides to every story, but he knew he'd done more than his share to elevate this situation to the level it was now.

Erin wasn't in the NICU, but Brody was awake again. Ricky check on him, looking at him possibly from a different perspective this morning, definitely with more clarity. He left a little stuffed animal bear with him he'd found in the gift shop downstairs. He felt terrible that this was the first honest thing he'd wanted to get for Brody, his son. After speaking to the nurses and hearing that Brody had a good night, he went in search of Erin. The nurse said she thought Erin might have gone down to the cafeteria for some food. Ricky left the NICU to find her.

"Hi," he said, giving her a sad smile, as he found her sitting by the window, absentmindedly stirring a cup of coffee and staring off into the window.

Erin, startled, looked up, "Ricky," she said, "you startled me."

Ricky nodded as he pulled out a chair across from her and sat down, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that at all. Can we talk?"

Erin frowned as she turned away again, "Listen, Ricky. I'm not going to fight with you anymore. It's not good for me; it's not going to be good for Brody. What more do you want? The nurse told me she asked you to bring the car seat, so if you do, I'll be out of your way. I've been staying here with Brody, and as soon as he's discharged, which should be in the next day or so, we'll be out of your hair. If this is about the divorce papers, I sighed those long ago, before all this happened, and I sent them back to your dad. He said he'd file them. As far as Brody, I've decided I don't even want child support. He's my baby, and he and I will be just fine on our own. We'll figure it out, and after everything, the last thing I want to be is tied to you. So, congratulations, you're off the hook. Yes, I know the test isn't back yet, but you don't even have to worry about it anymore," she sighed as she shook her head and looked at her coffee. "Now, if you'll just leave me alone, I've got some planning to do."

"I'll fight you for him," Ricky said, drawing Erin's attention. Her head snapped up, as she looked into his eyes.

"What?" Erin asked. "What do you mean?"

Ricky crumbled, as he put his hand over his face, "Erin, I am so sorry. I can't even start to apologize. I know he's mine."

Erin's eyes grew wide, "I've told you that from the beginning. Ricky, I know we were idiots and got married the same night we met in a stupid, stupid decision, but it was only ever you. I really liked you that night, thought you were cute and funny. Looking back, it was so dumb to get married. I don't know what I was thinking, but I've done a lot of growing up the past few months. I love that little boy more than anything. I didn't know that was possible, so if anything good had to come out of the worst decision of my life, he was it. So, please don't take him away from me. I know you can hire all these fancy lawyers and all, but he's my world," she said, tears in her eyes.

Ricky reached across and grabbed her one hand, "Hey, I don't want to do that," he said looking at her. "I'm hoping we can figure something out."

Erin looked away, "Ricky, I'm not staying here in San Francisco."

Ricky looked at her, gauging if she was being truthful, and he realized she hadn't lied to him yet, ever, "You can't go back to Reno and start working at that sleazy place again."

Erin looked up, "What? It was good enough for me, but now not your son?"

Ricky shook his head, "No, I don't mean it like that. I don't want Brody growing up like that. I don't want you to have to work like that. Last thing I need are idiot guys ogling you every day."

Erin raised her eyes to his, "Oh, like you and your friends did?"

"Yeah," Ricky scoffed, "I've done a lot of growing up too. Listen, I never wanted kids. Don't want a family, but Brody's here, and I'm not disputing that now. Look, I just don't want you to go back to Reno."

Erin shrugged, "I'm not going back to Reno. My boss doesn't want me back. He was the one who kept calling me before Brody was born, Ricky. He kept asking me when I'd be back. Well, as soon as he heard I'd gotten so injured, scars and all, he doesn't want me back. Honestly, that's fine, but I'm not going there. I found another job."

Ricky raised his eyebrows, "You found another job? How? Where? When? You've been here all the time, and I know you said you didn't have any real training or college classes."

"Ricky, the guy who has been calling me lately offered me a job. Don't worry; it's respectable, although while I'm not sure of his intentions, I have a pretty good idea" she sighed. "I can deal with that when I get there. I'll be a filing clerk in a law firm, his personal assistant. Ricky, your dad offered me a job and a place to stay; he wants me to move with him."


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks to anyone who is still reading! There will be one more chapter after this one.**

Ricky sat there stunned. Had he just heard correctly? "My dad wants you and Brody to move in with him? Jack, my dad?"

Erin shrugged and nodded, "He does. I think he'd like more than that, but I'm not at all interested in that. Sorry, Ricky, but your dad is a little forward," she shuddered. "He is offering me a job, though, and I do need that. Plus, Brody needs a better setup than anywhere else I've lived before staying with you. He said I could stay with him, and Brody could go to the daycare at his firm. He said I could have a job, and we'd 'see where things go' as he put it. I'm going to be very up front that I'm not interested in him romantically, and if that's a problem, well, I'll go stay with my sister again, which is a rough place, but I can handle it. The job, well, I hope he'll keep his word on that even if he hears I'm not interested."

"My dad wants to see where things go with you?" Ricky said disgusted and a little too loud. He'd gained the attention of others in the cafeteria. "What kind of a sick person is he?" Ricky said, almost to himself as he shook his head, "I mean, he's made some inappropriate comments about you, but I've brushed them aside because well, Jack is Jack. I have no idea how Mom kept him around so long. Erin, he's the reason I don't want to get married and don't want a family. He's a terrible example for both, and he trashed our family. He drank his way through our family. I've seen the damage, and I decided very early on, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't trash a family; I wouldn't have a family. I'm absolutely disgusted my dad wants to 'see where things go with my wife!' "

Erin looked at him and quietly said, "Well, you may be more like him than you care to admit, and as I said, I'm not your wife; I signed the divorce papers."

Ricky nodded as he remained silent, looking down at the floor. Erin was right; he'd turned out trashing a family he didn't want. Ricky nodded as he looked up, "Yeah, I deserved that. I am turning out way too much like my dad. Drinking led me to a mess, just like it led my dad, granted, I'm not a drunk, but one night certainly changed my life, your life. I do have a family I didn't want, but I should say I didn't know I wanted. Now that Brody is here, and I've figured out I was a royal screw up, I can't lose him. I want him around. Erin, I know you were unconscious, but I saw him. He came out blue and looking dead. My heart sunk. Something inside me just died when I saw that. He wasn't breathing, and in that moment, I almost couldn't live with myself. I'd been responsible for that, arguing with you at the house as you were trying to focus on coming down those stairs. For the next few days, Brody making it was the only thing I could think about. So, while I didn't want him or anything to do with being a responsible adult and parent, now it's the only thing I want. I spent all night researching things for him, everything he's going to need. Crib, stroller, high chair, swings, bouncy seats, toys-Erin, now that I've stopped being so self righteous, I will do anything for him. I'm hoping we can figure something out so that I can be there for him, and you don't have to do this on your own."

"What do you suggest, Ricky? I need a job. I need to provide for him, and this is a good offer. You don't have to worry that I'm going to fall for your dad. Believe me, one Raydor has been enough, and I have absolutely no romantic interest in your dad. You can send money if you want. You can see him when you come to LA; I won't stop that, but I'm doing what is best for me, for Brody."

"What if that's not enough? What if that's not what I want?" Ricky asked.

"What do you want, Ricky?" Erin asked him very pointedly.

Ricky chewed his lip as he sat there silently. He looked at Erin, a sweet girl that he'd up and married in one, dumb night. She was cute-a tiny thing, barely over five feet tall with long blonde hair. Lately, she kept hat hair up in a messy ponytail, otherwise occupied with Brody and not her appearance. Between being so young and more recently so worried, she'd almost lost any weight she had from pregnancy already, but there wasn't a lot to lose. More than anything right now, she looked tired, exhausted, and completely worn out.

Ricky looked up, "I want you to stay," he started. "I think we can work something out here. I'd like for you to stay with me-in your own room-before you say anything. Listen, it's too early to start making any huge decisions in your life. Moving to LA to stay with my dad? I'm begging you not to do that. He'll figure out quickly you aren't looking for romance, and that will be it. Plus, I don't want Brody or you for that matter, around his drinking. I'd like you to stay, and we can be roommates at least until you get back on your feet and can figure out things for Brody. My work has a daycare. I looked it up last night, and I can get Brody in there, that is, when he's ready for it. I'd like you to get the training you want. If you want to go back to school, I'll help pay for it right now because I know in the long run, it helps you, and it helps Brody."

"Ricky, I don't know if this is a good idea. The last thing I want is to fight every day with you. That's not healthy, and it's not good for Brody. Before my parents dumped me with my aunt, that's all they ever did, and I don't want Brody growing up with that memory," she added.

"Look, I can't promise you we won't ever disagree, because we will, but I am done being hostile. I royally screwed up; I know that. I want you to realize that as much as you love that little boy upstairs, I do too. It might have taken me longer to realize it, but I adore him, and I can't imagine him not in my life. It kills me knowing how badly I treated you, the mother of my son, and I hope that you can someday forgive me. I was a selfish jerk, and yes, while I know we both played a part in the issues we had, I certainly was terrible to you. Through all of this, you've never played me, never lied. I've just refused to see the truth."

Erin nodded, "Ricky, you place isn't big enough for all three of us. I don't know what ideas you had, but-" she trailed off.

Ricky nodded, "I'll put his crib in my room. It's bigger anyways, and you can come in there to get him whenever you need. It won't bother me at all. That way, I'm not invading your space, but I'm happy to give up some of mine. It can work. Besides, we can put a desk in your room. If you want to go to school for something, you'll need a place to study. If not, that's okay too, but whatever job you find, I just want it to be something that gets you on your feet. Look, I'm not going to try to be the bad guy; I've done that to you way more than you deserve, believe me. I make plenty of money right now to take care of all of us, and well, whenever you finish school or just get further along in a job you find, we can find you and Brody somewhere to stay, nearby. Until then, stay with me, and let me help. I don't know anything about babies, but I'm willing to learn. I know they don't allow much sleep, and it's better if the two of us share that duty."

Erin looked up at Ricky and whispered, "I really don't want to live with your dad," she shrugged.

Ricky sighed and closed his eyes, "I am so angry with my dad right now. I can't believe he's trying to put the moves on you and get you to move in with him. You do realize that all he wants is a relationship? He's always been into younger women, especially pretty blondes, and I can promise you that things there will not turn out like you imagine."

Erin just nodded, quietly, "I only met him that one time he came by with the divorce papers, and even then I felt like he was just looking me over. He creeps me out," she shrugged.

Ricky reached over and patted her arm, "Then stay with me. I've already ordered all the stuff Brody needs, well, everything but clothes," he groaned. "I have no idea what those numbers all mean on the clothes."

Erin laughed at that, tears in her eyes, "Okay," she nodded, "I'll stay for now, you know, just to help with the clothing issue," she gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you."

Ricky raised his hand, "Don't thank me. I've been awful. For one, I need to start thanking you. Thank you for all of this. You gave me an amazing gift I didn't think I ever wanted. Thank you for trying, for coming to me right away, and for not giving up. You've had more strength than I could ever have had. I'm sorry for all the arguing, and I'm deeply sorry for the fall. It just makes me sick to think you could still be pregnant with him and not have had all these health issues, both of you."

Erin shook her head, "Ricky, my doctor said while the fall was just awful, I was still on the road to health problems with Brody. The fall just escalated the problems, greatly, but he said I wouldn't have made it to 40 weeks anyway."

Ricky shook his head, "I'll never get that image out of my head. I'm just so grateful you are both going to be okay. I prayed a long time that evening in the chapel."

Erin just nodded, quietly, "So, what next?" she asked. "Brody is still here for a few days. I guess I need to get things ready for him."

"We," Ricky corrected, "we need to get things ready for him. I checked on him before I came down here, and he is doing well. They do have his car seat, so whenever they want to do that test, they already have it. Why don't we get out of here for a bit? You've been living here, and the fresh air could do you some good. I took the day off to get everything I ordered. While I'm loading the stuff in the car, why don't you do some shopping? Get some clothes, blankets, bedding, whatever. That isn't my area at all."

Erin looked at him shyly, "You really are okay with the two of us coming to stay with you indefinitely?"

"Without a doubt," Ricky immediately replied. "I'm done making a mess of my life. I've got a good job, and I'm certainly not going to mess up my kid too. I'm going to be there for him, even though my dad was never there for me. I want to be the kind of parent my mom was, there and loving. I know he needs that."

Erin shook her head, "I don't know when I'll be able to repay you. School could take awhile. I got to thinking about jobs when your dad offered me one, and I think I'd like to be a paralegal."

"I don't want your money. You won't need to pay me back. Look, we're raising Brody from this point forward. This is just one of the ways I can help with that. You want to be a paralegal? That's fine," Ricky nodded. "That's a good job, but please, promise me, you'll never work with my dad."

"Promise," Erin smiled. "That I can promise, and as you said, I haven't lied yet."

"Okay, then, let's go. We've got some shopping to do. Hopefully, my credit card company doesn't think the card is stolen with all the baby purchases," he winked.


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, so I lied :) This isn't the last chapter. I sat down to look at everything, and it was way too long for just one last chapter. So, I've split it, and this chapter is plenty long enough, almost 5,000 words. There will be one chapter after this. Thanks for the reviews. Hope this chapter makes sense...there's some present day with some flashbacks.**

"He's not wearing that," Ricky sighed as he shook his head, "no way." Ricky stood with a "not happening looking" on his face, holding Brody, who was looking around. Head of auburn brown hair and a pacifier in his mouth, he was currently quiet. That wasn't always the case; Brody might not have made a sound when he was born, but had certainly more than made up for it in the last year.

"Why not? It's cute, and it fits the theme," Erin asked, looking at the shirt she was holding. "Some Bunny Loves Me," she repeated, reading the words off the light blue shirt. "It's sweet, and besides your mom sent it."

Ricky rolled his eyes and looked at Brody, "Brody, little man, I think your grandma thinks you are a girl. I guess I should be happy you aren't; I wouldn't want to imagine what she'd have you wearing if you were a girl."

Brody just stared at Ricky, big brown eyes looking at him. He continued to suck on his pacifier.

"Well, she sent it partly because Brody loves that blue bunny he has. When I told her that was the party theme, she sent this shirt she found while out shopping," Erin added. "You know, the same blue bunny you bought him that is his favorite thing to drag around," she said giving him a pointed look.

Ricky sighed as he moved around the room, "I can't believe we're having a bunny birthday party-for a boy!" he said a bit loudly. Brody made a fussing sound, "Sorry, man," he said patting his back. He kissed his head. "What was I thinking buying a bunny blankie?" he grinned. "Oh, I wasn't; I was just so overwhelmed by the amount of stuff out there for babies, I don't think I even noticed it was a bunny until it was too late-until it became the toy he couldn't live without."

Erin just chuckled, "You started it," she smiled at Brody; he was getting sleepy and had his head on Ricky's shoulder. "He needs his nap," she commented, pointing at Brody's almost closed eyes.

Ricky glanced down at him without shifting too much, "What time is it?"

"11:00, and your parents said they'd be here around lunchtime," she replied.

"I'll take him upstairs and see if I can get him to take a short nap. While I'm in my room anyway, I'll get changed. It's bad enough I have to sit through a bunny party; I don't need to wear plums on my shirt. Thanks for those, Brody. Glad they were such a hit a breakfast," Ricky said sarcastically.

Erin chuckled again, as she finished getting his outfit ready, "I told you he didn't like those when I tried them last week. He likes the pears better. You two have a nice time up there in your 'Man Cave.' I can't believe Rusty found that sign and got it for you. Wait, actually, I can believe he got it. I just have to laugh that you actually put that sign on your bedroom door."

"Well, guy hideout; it is our man cave," he grinned. "Bed for me, crib for him, tv with sports-what more could a guy want?"

Erin rolled her eyes, I can't believe he's turning one," Erin shook her head. "It's been quite the year."

"That it has," Ricky said, "That it has."

Ricky left Erin downstairs finishing up the birthday party preparations and took Brody upstairs for a short nap. As he gripped the banister, he paused, with a shark intake of his breath. He was standing exactly where everything had gone downhill a year earlier. Here, he'd watch Erin tumble, no crash, down the stairs. The image was still vivid in his memory, as was that of a completely blue, lifeless looking Brody. He shook his head and gripped Brody tighter as he quietly walked upstairs. What a blessing things hadn't turned out badly; it had been quite a year, but it could have been so much worse.

Once he got Brody situated in his crib, he flopped down on his bed for a few minutes. While it was only just after 11:00, he was tired. Brody had first gotten up at 5:30, and because he was just a couple feet from Ricky's bed, he always woke up Ricky nowadays. They did have a good routine going, sharing the early morning "Brody Duty" as they were calling it, but usually once Brody woke up, he was up. This morning, Erin had gotten Brody, which worked well on mornings Ricky was already in the shower. If Brody saw Ricky still in bed though, well, Brody didn't like that, as had been the case this morning. It was Saturday, and Ricky had done "Brody Duty" all week, so Erin had told Ricky she'd get him when he woke up. The plan was going along just fine; Brody woke up, and even though Ricky heard him, he was so tired, he knew he'd be able to go back to sleep. Well, this morning, Brody woke up and stood-that was his new thing, standing. He was slightly delayed in milestones, but he was catching up quickly. Brody stood, and Erin came running in the room to get him before it bothered Ricky anymore. Problem was Brody saw Ricky asleep, his favorite person, and that was the end of that. Quickly, Brody had started with his, 'Dadadada' babble, fussing and wanting to be anywhere Ricky was. Erin tried to console him, tried to get him out of the room before Ricky, head under the pillow announced, "It's fine. Bring him here." Quickly, the noise stopped as Ricky felt a soft pat on his face and smelled baby shampoo. Brody was happy; he was with his dad.

Erin flopped down, with Brody between them so he didn't roll off, sighing herself, "This never works. He likes you so much better than me."

Ricky just opened an eye and peaked over at her, "Well, we can always move his crib in your room," before covering his face again with the pillow. Brody just continued to pat Ricky's arm, saying, "Dada, Dada," over and over.

"Yeah, but then you'd lose your mancave, and I can't be responsible for that," she smirked.

"Touché," Ricky said from under his pillow.

That had lasted a few minutes before everyone got up. Brody was good at getting everyone up; he was a sweet baby, but he had quite a set of lungs on him. Ironic, that the baby who had trouble breathing on his own could deafen the household."

So, now here at naptime, Ricky was ready for a little snooze himself. Sharon, Andy, Rusty, and Gus wouldn't be there for another hour or so, and the party wasn't going to start without them. They were the extent of the party. When Erin had spoken to Ricky about a birthday party, she'd told him she wanted to keep it simple, and they had. That hadn't stopped his aunts and uncles from sending birthday presents; it was a big deal. The little guy had quite a year, and it was one to be celebrated. However, only the four guests were traveling for the party; others couldn't make the long drive. Rusty and Gus had plans to stay in the city for a few days, so they were following Sharon and Andy.

Ricky though back to the tremendous help his mom and Andy had been over the last year. From Day 1, they had been there, supporting him. They'd sat with Brody in the hospital for countless hours; they'd sat with Erin. They'd even cleaned up his place after the horrible fall. They'd listened to him on the phone when he finally saw the light. They had guided him to find all the baby gear he would need. They'd helped him put his life together, a life he didn't known had fallen apart. The greatest help, though, had been from Andy shortly after Ricky's revelation and talk with Erin. Once the two had talked at the hospital and ironed out everything, they had done their shopping that day. Ricky chuckled thinking back to that day. He'd turned Erin loose in a baby store with virtually an unlimited credit card. She'd been cautious at first; they'd just agreed to be cordial to each other, but he quickly persuaded her that she needed to get whatever she wanted. This was their son, and he was going to have whatever he needed. Well, that had been the last time he'd had to remind her. She quickly picked out clothes, toys, bedding, and all. Ricky grinned as he looked over at the blue and green alligator bedding. That had been the one they could both agree upon, and as they got up to the register to pay, Ricky spotted a little blue blanket.

"I think he'll like this," Ricky said, the only thing he'd picked out in the store. Erin had picked out everything else.

"A blue blankie?" she asked.

Ricky shrugged, "Sure. Who knows, it might be his favorite thing."

Famous last words because the blue blankie, which turned out to be a blue bunny blankie had become Brody's favorite thing.

No, the real help from Andy came two days after all of that. Ricky had gotten the thousand items he had either ordered or Erin had purchased home, and he'd helped Erin get setup in her room. Brody was still a day away from leaving the NICU, and Ricky knew he had to take care of something before Brody came home. Because when Brody came home, he knew he was going to be busy and wouldn't want to deal with his little issue.

His little issue had a name: Jack. And, Ricky needed some help dealing with Jack, someone he never had asked before to help him with Jack. Ricky wanted his stepfather to stand alongside him as he dealt with his father. Ironic because he never should have needed to go up against his own dad. No. People had horror stories of evil step-parents, but nope; Ricky had horror stories of his own parent. Ricky remembered that day, a day he wouldn't forget.

"Andy, I'm hoping you can help me," Ricky said as he was in the car driving. It was very, very early, the day before Brody was to come home from the hospital. "I'm sorry I'm calling so early, but I could use your help today. Is Mom there? Go ahead and put me on speaker phone."

Andy, trying to decipher the cryptic message, said, "Sure, what's going on? She's here; we are just eating breakfast."

"Well, I'm on my way to LA," Ricky had replied.

"LA? Why? I thought you were getting Erin settled and bringing Brody home," Andy had asked.

"Erin's doing okay. Brody should get released tomorrow if he passes his test today. I need to deal with Dad, and I need to do it today," Ricky explained.

"Oh Ricky," Sharon cut in, "forget about him right now. Focus on your family there."

"Mom, I need to do this, and I need to do it today. You've been telling me to grow up, and well, this is something I need to do for my family. Andy, I am hoping you will help. Please?" Ricky asked.

Ricky could tell by the silence on the phone that his mom and Andy must be silently talking with their eyes. They were good at it, had been doing it for years. He figured it was something two people could do who really knew each other. After a few long seconds, Andy replied, "I'll help you. What do you need?"

"I need to deal with Dad. I left the house just after 3AM, and I'm hoping to be in LA before lunch. I called Dad's office yesterday to get his schedule. Told hi secretary I was his son and hoping to surprise him for lunch, and she told me he wasn't in court this afternoon. So, I plan to deal with him at lunch. If I can get back on the road by 2:00, I should be able to get home for a decent night's sleep before Brody comes home tomorrow. Andy, I would really like you to go with me to speak to Dad," Ricky explained.

"Ricky, I'll be glad to go with you. Are you sure you want to deal with this now? I don't want this to be some knee-jerk reaction with all the stress you have right now," Andy commented.

"No, I need to deal with him now. Mom, he tried to get my wife to move in with him! I know I can't call her that now, but she was! Andy, I'll stop by work when I get there. Thanks, and Mom, I love you," Ricky added.

"We both love you, honey," Sharon added, "be safe."

Ricky had collected Andy when he arrived in town; he has hit LA traffic mid-morning, so it wasn't awful, and he had made it to Jack's office by 11. Once he'd cleared the secretary, he knocked on Jack's door with Andy in tow.

To say that Jack was surprised to see Ricky was an understatement; to say that Jack was surprised to see Andy with Ricky was even more earth shattering.

"Ricky?" Jack said as he looked up from his desk, "What are you doing here? Is this about your divorce paperwork because I can explain."

"Dad-I'm here because I was told that you suggested Erin move in with you to 'see how things go' as she told me. You want my wife and son to move in with you hoping to take her to bed? Are you kidding me?" Ricky fumed. Andy just stood back and watched. This was Ricky's fight, probably long overdue from anger as a child, and unless things got out of hand, he was going to watch.

Jack stood, waving his hands, "Oh, well, she's got the wrong idea about all that. Plus, you said it wasn't your kid."

"Really, Dad? So, tell me, how many bedrooms does your apartment have?"

"Two!" Jack sputtered. "Look, you are sending her packing. She needs a job and a place to stay!"

"Yeah, and what's the setup in those bedrooms right now?" Ricky asked, having a pretty good idea before he asked.

Jack sputtered even more, "Ugh, well, um, there's my bedroom, and the other, it's pretty small, but we could squeeze a crib in there for that kid, which by the way, you're suddenly calling yours? You said the baby wasn't yours."

Ricky raised his eyebrows, "So, where's Erin supposed to stay?"

Jack's face grew red, "Look, that's between her and me. None of your business. For space, she'd have to stay with me."

Ricky nodded while Andy muttered, "Oh geez," shaking his head.

"Dad, let me be very clear. Stay away from her. You're not taking a 22-year-old to bed. Period. She's not moving here to be your assistant, which by the way, who are we kidding? Do you think Mom didn't know the things you did with other assistants? It's not happening here. My family. You stay away. He is my son; I realize that. End of discussion," Ricky stated and turned to leave.

"So, you're just going to let him talk to his old man that way, Flynn? Oh, the irony that my son brings the replacement screw up along with him to tell me not to date younger women," Jack chuckled.

Andy stepped up to Jack, pointing his finger at him, "You listen. Just when I think you can't be more of a dirt bag, I hear about this. Trying to take your son's family-that's just repulsive. Taking advantage of a young woman who has a mess in her life. Disgusting. Jack, if I never see you again, it's too soon, and yes, just so you know, Sharon was very much aware of your conquests. She was such a loyal and forgiving wife, she tried, but definitely aware!"

Jack just huffed, but as the two men started to the door, he spoke up one last time, "You're still married," he said digging around his desk until he held up the paperwork.

Ricky spun around, "Huh? Erin sent you the papers. She told me."

Jack shrugged, "She did, but she missed signing-initialing really-on two pages. I was going to have her sign when she got down here and then take her out for a celebratory nice dinner," to which Ricky rolled his eyes. He had an idea what that would entail. "So, you're still married to the girl. Here," he tossed the paperwork toward Ricky, "Find another attorney to file. I'm no longer interested."

Ricky just stood there staring at Jack, so Andy bent down to collect the paperwork that Jack had discarded. Andy patted Ricky on the shoulder to snap him out of his haze, and the two men, without incident, left Jack's office.

The whole confrontation had taken five minutes. Five minutes to ruin Ricky and Jack's relationship for good, yet five minutes to strengthen Ricky and Andy's forever. Once Ricky and Andy left, they met Sharon for lunch, where the three talked for almost two hours. They discussed everything; Ricky needed some sound advice, and after that, he had driven back to San Francisco with incomplete divorce papers in hand. Ricky chuckled thinking about those stupid papers. They were still hanging up on the refrigerator downstairs where they'd been the last year. He'd hung them there after returning from his almost 24-hour roundtrip drive to LA. Erin saw them the next morning as they were getting ready to go finally bring Brody home.

"What's this?" she nodded toward the refrigerator door as she went to open it. They were both grabbing a quick breakfast before going to the hospital. Ricky had gotten home very late the night before, and Erin had already gone to bed. He'd called her on the way, but telling her that part of the conversation hadn't been a good 'on the phone' topic.

Ricky glanced up from his bowl of cereal, "The divorce papers. Dad didn't file them."

Erin's eyes grew wide, "He didn't? Why? I sent him those with a note on them to file them. I thought they were filed, and this was official."

Ricky nodded, "He was going to. That was actually something he was going to do, but he did have ulterior motives," he said giving Erin a pointed look.

Erin sighed, "I'm sorry about that, but I told you it was never going to happen with him. Why didn't he file them?"

"You didn't initial two pages," Ricky said as he slurped a bite of his cereal."

Erin's eyes grew wide, "No! I thought I got everything. This is my fault! I'm so sorry. Here, I'll go over them now."

Ricky grabbed her wrist as she tried to walk by him to get a pen, "Hey, listen, they've sat that long. Let them hang there. We can deal with the papers later this week. Right now, I'd say we are both a bit on edge at the thought of bringing Brody home today. Don't ruin a good thing. He's coming home. We'll sit down and go over the papers later this week and make sure everything is sighed. Okay?"

Erin nodded, "Okay. I really am sorry, but I will sign them this week."

Except the papers hadn't been signed, and neither one had commented on that. They were still clipped to the refrigerator with a big magnet, staring at them every day. Ricky needed to end that finally now. It was time for those papers to handled. It had been a year, well, over a year since the papers should have been filed, and he had decided he was going to sit down with Erin this week and handle things. It would be quite an adjustment for all of them, but it was time.

Ricky heard a stirring and smiled as he stared up at the ceiling. Brody sounded like he was waking up from his nap. Ricky dared to glance over, and when he did, he couldn't help but chuckle. Brody was standing in his crib looking at Ricky, head full of bed hair, and waving. Truth be told, Brody's hair looked a bit like Ricky's natural hairdo-a mess. Ricky rolled over to get off the bed and noticed Brody's outfit was laid out there. Ricky must have fallen asleep because he certainly hadn't heard Erin come in and put the outfit out. That stupid blue bunny shirt, he shook his head, sighing. He guessed Brody could endure it for a few hours. Maybe he'd have to feed him some plums while wearing that shirt…

Ricky and Brody appeared at the bottom of the stairs a few minutes later, both dressed for the party.

"Oh, he looks so cute!" Erin said from the kitchen where she was working on the party. Ricky glanced around, frowning. The party had "exploded" in the living room since he'd been upstairs taking a nap, and now there was blue bunny stuff everywhere.

"Don't you think you went a little overboard?" he asked, nodding at all the decorations.

"Well, he's only one once, and I may never throw another one-year-old party again, so nope," she grinned. Ricky shook his head and looked at Brody. "Sorry man."

Ricky moved about getting Brody some milk; he liked that after his nap, and as he was finishing up in the kitchen, the doorbell rang, "I'll get it," Ricky said. "Brody, if you don't answer the doorbell, Grandma may hurt herself running in here after you." Holding Brody, who was drinking his milk, they went to the door.

"Oh, there's my boy!" Sharon squealed, grabbing Brody from Ricky. Rick just frowned at her, "Hmm, I used to be 'your boy," he shook his head. Andy chuckled, moving in behind Sharon, "Get used to it. She told me I'd been replaced when Brody was born."

The two moved into the house, and Erin came out from the kitchen to greet everyone. They all exchanged pleasantries, explaining the Rusty and Gus would be there in about a half hour. They'd had to turn around because Gus had forgotten some restaurant information he wanted to follow up on in San Francisco. His head chef had asked him to try a couple of restaurants while in the area.

Sharon quickly moved into the kitchen area, squealing at all the bunny decorations. Ricky looked at Andy, and the two rolled their eyes, "How's everything going?" Andy asked.

Ricky nodded, "It's been quite the year," he stated. "Say, Brody hasn't been out for a walk today. He loves to take a loop around the block in his stroller. Want to walk with me? I'm sure Mom would say it's good for your health," Ricky smirked.

Andy sighed as he shook his head at Ricky, "Yeah," he said gruffly, with a joking quality in his voice, "I'll walk, but only because I'd rather hang out with the guys than get stuck dealing with a bunny party for a boy."

Ricky threw up his hands, "I tried to tell her!"

After Ricky pried Brody from Sharon, the guys set out on their walk, "So," Andy picked up, "I'm guessing this isn't just a walk around the block. What's up?"

Ricky chuckled, "Mom always said you were her best detective."

Andy raised his eyebrows, "Best, really? She always told me favorite, but best-that's a new one."

The two men chuckled for a moment, and then Ricky started, "Andy, I first wanted to thank you for being there for me, for us, this past year. It's really meant more than I could ever tell you. I often think about where things would have been if Erin hadn't stumbled into your crime scene," he shook his head. "There's a good chance Brody wouldn't be alive because she wouldn't have gotten medical care for her blood pressure before it got out of hand. There's a good chance she'd be living somewhere awful, doing things even worse. You know, she's told me over and over she feels terrible for hitting on Julio when she was interviewed. I guess she was trying to keep her 'dancer' cover and put her walls up. Her personality, her real one, is nothing like that."

Andy nodded, "I know. It's been good to get to know her this year. I know she's gone through a lot-you all have, but she's really had about every twist and turn imaginable."

"Yeah, which is why it's finally time to deal with the divorce," he sighed.

Andy raised his eyebrows at him, "Still have those papers on the fridge?"

Ricky nodded, "Yes, they are there, but it's time. "

"Have you spoken to her about them yet?" Andy asked.

"Not for awhile," Ricky nodded. "We first said we'd deal with them after Brody got home and situated. Then, we were getting into his routine, adjusting to my back at work and her home with him. Then, she started her classes finally a couple months ago. It's just time."

Andy nodded, "You good with your decision, then?"

Ricky glanced down at Brody and then glanced toward Andy, "Yeah. I am. Thought long and hard. You know, it didn't hit me until her classes started. She came home at the end of her first week of class, which I guess was almost a month ago now. She said a guy had asked her out on a date. I remember it well. I was sitting at the kitchen table feeding Brody dinner-peas in fact. Random fact I remember. Anyway, she came in, and I asked her how class had gone. She was telling me all about, things she'd learned, and then she said, 'A guy asked me on a date.' Then, there was silence. I didn't know how to respond, so I asked her what she'd said to him. She simply said, 'I told him I was married.' Then, she said the guy apologized and said he didn't know because she didn't wear her rings," Ricky shook his head. "That stupid wedding. The next morning, she had on that cheap junk band, the one that's probably some sort of plastic. I figured she didn't want to be hit on in class. That was the last we talked about it, but enough is enough. I've followed your advice and waited a year to assess things-to do anything, and I'm planning to deal with it tonight. Are you and Mom still good with watching Brody?"

Andy nodded, "Do you need to ask? Anytime we've come up here, all your mom wants to do is get her hands on that kid. We'll be more than fine. Well, I might feel a little slighted because she probably won't notice I'm there, but yeah, we're good. Deal with this tonight."

Sharon and Andy had been able to visit several times during the last year, and each time, they'd pushed Ricky and Erin out the door one of the evenings they had been there. The first time they visited, it was April, and it was a little awkward. They'd never left Brody with anyone, and while it had nothing to do with trust, it was just an uneasy evening. Plus, they hadn't been out at all without Brody with them, specifically, they hadn't spent any time alone without Brody there as a distraction. So, that first evening, they'd gone out, they'd ended up at the grocery store and Target. They'd done the mundane things that needed to be done, but they'd gotten through it. The second time they had been shoved out the door was July. This time, Erin had been wanting to see a movie, so that went to that. It was easy, and it didn't require them to do much talking. The third time they'd been pushed out of their own house was September, and then, Ricky had heard about a concert in the park, so they'd sat through that and enjoyed it just fine. Like the movie, the concert didn't require a lot of awkward talking. Then, there had been Christmas, which Ricky knew would be awkward. Erin had wanted to go to LA, both to see her sister and for Ricky to see his family. So, they'd gone. The drive had gone pretty well, and Brody had done fine. In LA, they ended up staying with Sharon and Andy, and luckily, they had enough rooms for them. Ricky had been dreading doing his Christmas shopping because what do you really get your wife who is supposed to be your ex-wife, who is living with you raising your kid? Ricky had done pretty well, in the end, he thought. He'd gotten Erin an expensive bracelet that had Brody's birthstone on it. He'd noticed she barely wore any jewelry, and it caught his eye when he was wandering around the mall. He'd also been able to get her a practical gift he knew she'd really enjoy. Erin had become quite the cook and baker, and his kitchen was minimal, so he'd gotten her a nice stand mixer that she loved. He knew that it would be a good gift no matter what.

So, here they were again, after all the awkward evenings out, once again, but this time, he had a game plan-the divorce. First, they had to get through the party.


	15. Chapter 15

**We've arrived at the end. Hope you enjoy this last chapter. Thanks for all the reviews!**

Ricky and Andy returned with Brody to find that Rusty and Gus had arrived. After everyone said their greetings, the party got started. Erin had made a few dishes for lunch, and people collected their plates and gathered in the living room to watch Brody's latest antic-standing.

"I can't believe he's going to be walking soon!" Sharon gushed. She was sitting on the floor with Brody, and everyone kept chuckling at how excited she was to be with the little boy. "To think how fragile he looked a year ago. Wow, it's amazing."

"Yeah, Ricky, what are you guys feeding that kid? He's actually big now," Rusty commented.

"It's certainly not plums," Ricky chuckled. "He hates plums and will spit them back at you if you feed them to him. I guess his big thing right now would be Cheerios. Kid is a Cheerios machine."

"Don't forget bananas," Erin added, "but, right now, I would pay to not have him eat another one for a very long time. He completely smashes them, thinking it's cute and funny."

"Well, I'm sure it is cute!" Sharon squealed as Brody demonstrated again he could stand.

"Oh, now that everyone is done eating, "Rusty added, "I have a present for him-from Lieutenant Provenza and well, the whole team."

Sharon's head popped up, looking at Rusty. He just shrugged, and then she turned to Andy, "What did they get Brody?"

Andy shrugged, "Beats me," he started, "ever since I went to the 'dark side' as Provenza calls it, I never know anything. It's like I'm not part of their plans," he shook his head, and he turned to Rusty, "So, I would maybe refrain from saying it's from the WHOLE team," as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, poor Andy," Rusty added, "Married the boss, and now the team doesn't want to include you."

Sharon and Andy glared at Rusty, and he just rolled his eyes, "Rusty, where's the present?" Sharon finally asked.

Rusty handed over the present to Erin, who was sitting closest to him. She gestured toward Ricky, suggesting he might want to open it, "No, go ahead," Ricky nodded to her.

"I don't know what they got, but all Lieutenant Provenza would say is that it had a theme-went with ' _The Wizard of Oz'_ idea," Rusty added.

Sharon and Andy both groaned, while Erin looked at Ricky with a puzzled expression. Ricky chuckled, and told Erin, "I'll tell you later."

Erin unwrapped the present while Ricky pulled Brody onto his lap. Erin started to chuckle when she unwrapped the gift, "There's a note on it. It says, 'Brody-When you get older, your grandparents will have to show you _The Wizard of Oz_. We got them that movie when they got married. Until then, we decided you needed a movie to remind you of all the police officers in your life. Enjoy and P.S.-Hope your mom isn't upset with the movie we chose. It reminded us of her.'"

Everyone was looking at each other with a puzzled expression, and Erin held up the movie, "They got him a copy of ' _Bambi_ ' the movie," to which Ricky put his hand on his face and shook his head. Andy, Rusty, and Gus busted out laughing, and Sharon just shook her head.

"I guess I had that coming," Erin dropped her head. "Ahh, Rusty, please tell them thanks. I'll have to think of a way to return the favor."

"Our gift next!" Sharon clapped her hands together and stood up. "Andy, come on!" she pulled him up too.

"Why do you say our gift? You act like there's just one gift. I think the real reason Rusty and Gus couldn't ride with us was the fact that the car is filled with gifts," Andy grumbled. He winked at Ricky as he acted like he was complaining. "Okay, I'll get the big one. I know that is the one you are excited about; you couldn't stop talking about it on the way here."

Andy disappeared, with Sharon right behind him, only to reappear with a sandbox. Ricky shook his head, "A sandbox, really? Where are we going to put that?"

"Well, unless you get up and help me, it's going right here in the living room," Andy said sarcastically to Ricky. Everyone chuckled knowing the two men had become very close. Ricky moved quickly to get the sandbox to the back yard. Sharon was standing there, almost jumping.

"I just know how much he loved the beach when you came down for Christmas! I had to bring a little of the beach here. I think he'll love a sandbox, at least I hope he does," she grinned. "We also got him some shovels, trucks, buckets-"

"Basically, she bought so much stuff, Brody won't be able to fit in the sandbox," Andy grinned as he kissed Sharon on the side of her head when he walked back into the room. She swatted at him, sighing.

"Well, it isn't every day the little guy turns one. Now, we also got a little table that matches the sandbox to keep outside with it. He can play on it, color, and even eat out there," she added.

"Sharon, thank you. That's really sweet. It will be great once it starts warming up," Erin smiled.

"That is if there's enough room for all of that in the yard," Ricky shook his head, looking at how his small yard was filling up. Between all that and the little car thing Erin picked out, well, Brody is stocked with new toys."

They spent more time opening the rest of his gifts-some other toys from his aunts and uncles, a wagon from Rusty and Gus, and some clothes Sharon had found, before the party started to wind down. Brody was getting tired again, ready for his next nap.

"Well, we're going to head out," Rusty said, "I guess we are checking on these restaurants. We'll see you guys all later," Rusty and Gus waved as they headed off.

The four adults started cleaning up the party, but very quickly Sharon spoke up, "Okay you two, off you go," she shooed them out of the kitchen. "We can clean this up. Brody is sleeping. You two need a break. Go."

Ricky looked to Erin, "Want to head down to that coffee shop a couple blocks over?"

Erin looked around the room, "Sharon, I can't leave this mess for you to clean."

"Of course you can," Sharon smiled. "Go. Relax. Have a cup of tea. Go to dinner, a movie, whatever. We'll be just fine."

Erin nodded and looked to Ricky, "I'm just going to change. I'm covered in party food," she nodded and disappeared.

Ricky turned, "Thanks Mom. Thanks Andy," he nodded, as he slipped into his sport coat. He'd started wearing one more recently after he discovered he liked the look Andy wore-dark jeans, sport coat, loafers. Comfortable and yet stylish. As he was finishing up, he walked over to the fridge and pulled the divorce papers off it, folding them, and putting them in his interior coat pocket. Sharon and Andy both noticed, Andy being forewarned. Sharon's eyes got huge, as what was going on registered with her, "It's about time I deal with this," Ricky nodded to her. "We'll see you later."

Andy nodded, as Sharon stood there, speechless. Andy just patted Ricky on the shoulder, "Hope it goes okay."

Erin returned, unaware of what had just transpired, and the two were off.

Ricky and Erin got their drinks and sat down. Erin sat with a loud sigh, leaning her head back, "Haaah," she said, "I can't believe the party is over."

Ricky nodded, as he sat in a chair next to her on a couch, "Well, as much as I don't want to admit, the bunny party was perfect."

Erin smiled toward the ceiling, her head still back, "I knew it was the right theme."

Ricky rolled his eyes, "Let's stick with more of a boy theme next year, you know, trucks, dinosaurs, something like that."

Erin chuckled, "Watch. He'll want a Bambi party."

Ricky returned the chuckle before he cleared his throat, "Erin, we need to talk."

This serious tone pulled Erin's head off the back of the couch, and she sat up, now looking at Ricky, "Okay," she nodded, looking visibly shaken.

Ricky put his coffee down and pulled the folded papers out of his coat. Erin's eyes followed his every move. She didn't say anything.

"These papers have been on the fridge for a year, and it's time we deal with them," Ricky stated.

Erin bit her lip and nodded, "You're right," she sighed.

Ricky caught her eye, and without looking away, he tore the papers up. Erin's eyes got wide as she watched, and Ricky put the torn papers down on the table. He gripped her hands which were trembling, "Erin, I don't want you to finish signing those papers. If that's your plan, then you'll need to find a new attorney to draw up new papers because I think my dad's help is out of the question," he smiled and Erin caught her breath as she tried to chuckle. "A year and a half ago I was so mad and ashamed of myself for doing something so stupid. I wanted it over and gone right then and there. Then, when you showed up pregnant, I was so adamant about Brody not being mine. I was so bitter. Through it all, you never lied; you never did anything but protect our little boy. Then, he was born, and we agreed to be civil. It was a good arrangement. It's allowed you to get on your feet again. Brody's had a stable home, and you're even in school now. I couldn't be happier," he smiled.

Erin smiled back, tears forming in her eyes. She started to speak, and Ricky shook her off, "Please, if you don't mind, let me finish. You need to hear this, and I want you to know what I'm thinking-what I've been doing."

Erin nodded, looking down, and Ricky continued, "You know I've done a lot of talking to Andy over the last year. I'm very grateful for all the advice he's given me; I've never had a real dad in that department. Last year, when we confronted Jack, Andy and I talked for a long time. He gave me some great advice, which I took, because if anyone knows about hitting rock bottom, he does. You see, Andy suggested I take a full year to evaluate everything with us before making any rash decisions. He even got so specific to include a full year of us just being friends, nothing more. He pointed out how he spent two years just being by Mom's side as her friend before any romantic feelings were acted on with the two of them, and he said while hard, it was the best thing for them. In their situation, Mom needed a friend desperately, and Andy recognized that. He was there for her when she needed him, and in time, he could tell she was ready for more.

Erin, this is the part I want you to understand and not have any confusion-I've done that same thing this last year. If you haven't noticed, I've just been there for you as a friend. In the beginning, it was so awkward, you and I both know. We were barely speaking, just trying to not walk on eggshells around each other. Even just trying to adjust to having a newborn and work as a team-that was a challenge. I don't know, but then I started to just watch and be your friend. I started thinking about how I couldn't wait to get home from work and see you and Brody. I couldn't wait to take our dumb walks around the neighborhood, the very same walks I refused to take with you when you were pregnant. I couldn't wait until Saturday mornings to just hang out at home with you and Brody. Erin, somewhere during this year, I've changed so much. I look back to what I thought I wanted a year ago, and I'm ashamed. I wanted to be a bachelor for the rest of my life who drove a fast car, hung out with friends, and dated beautiful women whenever I wanted with no commitment. Now, all I want is to sit at home with you and Brody and be a family-watch a movie, make dinner together, even feed him those plums he spits at me. I'm ready to get rid of my sports' car and get some sort of family car," Ricky smiled. "Erin, I want you, and I want you to understand when I say that, I mean I want you in every way. I want you as my wife, for real. I've got my best friend, the Erin I can't wait to rush home to talk to about her day. I want Erin, my wife. Erin, I haven't touched you this whole year because I needed to figure all that out. I know I've barely given you a hug, but it wasn't because I wasn't interested. Quite the opposite-I'm so interested in you-so in love with you, I can't take it anymore. You are just so beautiful," he smiled, "from your tiny, barely five foot tall frame, to your gorgeous blonde hair, to your amazing smile. Then, there's your inner beauty-you're an amazing mom, a great listener, and fiercely loyal."

Erin was desperately trying to hold back her tears, while Ricky kept her hand gripped in his, "I thought you didn't care," she shook her head. "All this time, I thought you didn't care. I was respecting what I thought you wanted. I have been so glad we've been getting along well for Brody's sake. I really have been and keep telling myself that if nothing else, we're going to be good parents to Brody. I thought you didn't want me, want us, that Brody and I would find a place when I finished school. I've been so grateful for you helping us out, and I thought that you didn't want me, that I wasn't good enough for you-just a dancer from Reno," she shrugged. "I felt like I confirmed that when I told you about the guy in my class. When he asked me out, I thought that I would get my answer with you. You did ask me what he said, but you didn't say anything further. I thought you didn't want me," she cried.

Ricky moved from where he was sitting to sitting next to Erin, cupping her face in his hands, "I want you so much," he smiled sweetly at her, "I guess I knew a good thing when I saw it, even back when we first met," he grinned. "I was just so sure of myself, sure I would never stoop to getting married and having a family, that I failed to see just how perfect for me you are. I never wanted to hurt you this year, and I'm sorry if I did. There were so many times, so many," he shook his head, "that I wanted to kiss you, to hold you, and I kept telling myself that as hard as it was to follow Andy's advice. I'm glad I did because it gave me the clarity I needed."

Erin let out a half sob, half laugh as she looked up at Ricky, "Ricky, it might have been stupid, but somehow I have loved you since I met you. Yes, I think I hated you for awhile, but deep down, there's just something I can't explain. Brody has been the best thing that has ever happened to me, and you're responsible for that," she smiled. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Ricky, still with her face in his hands said, "Just to clarify I have no doubts," he leaned in and kissed her passionately. When they finally broke their kiss, he smiled at her, rubbing his thumb along behind her ear, "Brody got you a birthday present," he whispered.

Erin looked at him confused, "It's not my birthday yet, not for another six weeks. If Brody was getting anyone a birthday present it should be you because your birthday was just the other day."

"No, this is a present from Brody to you on his birthday. He wanted you to have it, the caring, sensitive bunny loving guy he is," Ricky smirked.

Erin looked at him with a glint in her eye, "Please tell me he didn't get me a copy of Bambi?"

"Promise," Ricky said, holding up his hand. He dug into his pocket for the gift, and he pulled it out. "I guess what I should say is that Brody got us a birthday present."

Erin's interest was raised, as she stared at the non-descript box, "What is it?"

"Open it," Ricky encouraged, handing it to her.

As she opened it, Ricky started to talk, "I want there to be no mistake-no mistake at all. Well, I should say, Brody wants there to be no mistake at all-" he trailed off as Erin smiled as she looked up at him.

"It's not from a vending machine," she smiled brightly.

Ricky chuckled, "No, it's not, and sadly, I do remember springing for the rings from a vending machine. That, I do remember."

Erin held open the box to Ricky, "This is perfect."

Inside, Ricky had three rings-a wedding band for himself, a wedding band for Erin, and a gorgeous engagement ring with a big stone for Erin, "Like I said," Ricky grinned, "not out of a vending machine this time."

"Will you put it on me?" Erin smiled, pulling the vending machine ring off and dangling her finger for him.

"I thought you'd never ask," he grinned, just as someone walking by behind them in the coffee house, stopped to comment, "Oh my gosh! You just got engaged?"

Startled, Ricky and Erin looked up, "No," Ricky smiled at Erin and winked at her, "we've been married a year and a half, but let's just say she's finally getting the ring she deserves."

The girl smiled, "Well, it's beautiful. Congrats."

Erin looked at Ricky, "Ricky, it is beautiful. Thank you. I know this wasn't cheap."

Ricky shrugged, "You're right; it wasn't, but you are worth it and can I finally say you are so beautiful that I can't even stand it. I can barely breathe. My most favorite time of day is to see you come in and get Brody. I know your hair is all messy, and you don't have on any makeup, but oh wow. You have no idea," he smiled.

Erin grinned, "I think I do. Let's just say that Brody isn't the only one who has been wanting to curl up with you on Saturday mornings. If I didn't already, I'd say I love that child for always wanting to be near you. It's allowed ME to always be near you." Erin smiled as she looked at her hand in Ricky's, their matching platinum bands and her huge diamond ring, "When did you get the rings?" she asked.

"The day after you told me about the guy in class asking you out," he replied. "No, it wasn't a knee-jerk reaction. I had looked before Christmas, and when I bought your bracelet for Christmas, well, I spent about three hours at that jewelry store looking at rings. I'd picked these out then, but I hadn't been man enough to just go get them. Then, you started talking about guys asking you out," he shook his head, "Let's just say I'm glad we were about to the year mark because I almost couldn't stand it anymore."

Erin grinned, "The guys in class will be so crushed. I really think they thought I was making up the fact I'm married, especially when I showed up with a ring out of a vending machine. I'm sure they thought I was just doing that so they wouldn't hit on me."

"Well, they'd better not hit on you, none of them. I've already had to fight off my dad trying to hit on you," Ricky added, to which Erin groaned.

"So, what now?" Erin smiled brightly.

"Well, seeing as how we have babysitters at home, I'd love to take my wife out for a nice dinner. We haven't done that, and no, Chinese takeout doesn't count," he said as Erin giggled. "Then, I'd love to go home and send the babysitters back to their hotel."

Erin gave him a look, one that indicated she knew he was up to no good.

Ricky winked at her, "Yeah, the mancave has to go. Brody can keep it if he wants, but the mancave-well, it's about to be relocated."

Erin burst out laughing and leaned in to kiss Ricky, "I love you," she smiled.

Ricky gripped her elbows as she kissed him and kissed her back, "I love you too. Now, let's go eat, and we can discuss how we will never ever allow Brody to 1-Go to Reno, 2-Go to Las Vegas, and 3-Never hang out or listen to Grandpa Jack."

Erin laughed, and as they stood to leave, Ricky sent a quick text to Andy and Sharon, "The picture speaks for itself," where he had attached a picture of the torn-up divorce papers, and added, "Out to dinner with my wife. We'll be back ?"

Ricky took Erin's hand in his as she leaned into him, "Ricky, I once told you, when I was angry with you, that I had enough with one Raydor man in my life," she started, and Ricky looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Well, I was wrong. I'm definitely good with the two Raydor guys in my life I have right now, and well, down the road, I think I could be persuaded to add one or two more," she winked at him as he smiled brightly at her. "Besides, it would give me the chance to do a couple more blue bunny first birthday parties."


End file.
